Inside Reproductive Health Podcast

The results are in: 5 healthy babies born, 64.3% fertilization rate, zero eggs damaged across hundreds of oocytes.Lab automation in IVF is no longer theoretical, it’s been proven.Chief Scientific Officers Jason Barritt of Kindbody and Jacques Cohen of Conceivable Life Sciences join the episode to discuss a recent study published in Human Reproduction examining AURA, the robotic lab system developed by Conceivable Life Sciences.We dive into:What “proof of concept” actually means in IVF lab automationWhy this study matters (And where it falls short of current standards)The role of automation as a testing ground for new lab technologiesWhat a fully automated IVF lab could unlockWhether “hub and spoke” models in fertility have been misunderstood (and what they could actually become)If automation continues to progress, the scale of what’s possible in fertility care may look very different than it does today.

Do fertility doctors deserve happiness?It sounds like a strange question, but for many REIs it’s not abstract.We step back from operations, technology, and finance to ask a more fundamental question with Inception’s National Medical Director, Dr. Jason Yeh:What does a good life actually look like for a fertility specialist?In this conversation, we explore:Moral injury vs. burnoutThe X–Y axis of time and money in a physician’s careerHappiness vs. meaningWhy fertility doctors often benchmark happiness against the status and performance of peersLiving in the moment as an REIThe different kinds of regret fertility doctors describe at the end of their careersConversations like this are rare. If you find value in it, please tell us. Because if the field wants more conversations like this, we need to prove they’re worth having.

What are the drug makers up to?And who’s about to win or lose in fertility pharmacy?This final category overview takes a hard look at the shifting pharmaceutical landscape of legacy manufacturers, rising challengers, supplement disruptors, and the latest in professional services.We also dive into:Why the pharmacy “middle” may be hollowed outWhich models are positioned to scale (and which aren’t)Who operators are calling when they need expert guidanceThe consultants and firms quietly shaping growth behind the scenesDive deeper into any of these topics through our Inside Reproductive Health Digest Articles:⁠Pharmacy, Pharmaceuticals, Professional Services, Supplements

Patients want clearer pricing, clinics want operational sustainability, managed care wants predictable cost control……and everyone wants more transparency.This epiosde centers on the groundbreaking Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics (JARG) paper on Activity-Based Costing in IVF and what it actually costs.We’re joined by Pinnacle CFO Shruti Sood, The Fertility Partners CEO Heather Stark, and Chartis Partner Bret Anderson to discuss:Why IVF costs have not been accurately accounted forHow activity-based costing could reshape pricing modelsThe real impact of payer consolidationWhere clinics confuse capacity problems with volume problemsWhether different prognosis patients should be priced differentlyHow managed care pressure will change IVF economics

Clinics are feeling the pressure. And one year after the PGT class action lawsuits, the ripple effects are still unfolding.We’re back with another Fertility Field Overview, and this one looks at what’s happening across patient finance, IVF benefits and third-party reproduction, genetics and diagnostics, and the evolving self-pay landscape.We discuss:Whether IVF benefits managers are helping clinics (or squeezing them)Which lending institutions and loan programs are positioned to rise to the topWhy some say the third-party IVF experience is getting worseWhat’s changed in genetics and diagnostics since the PGT lawsuitHow clinics are reducing workload through at-home testing solutionsHow fertility compares to the broader self-pay healthcare marketDive deeper into any of these topics through our Inside Reproductive Health Digest Articles:Patient Finance, Third Party IVF, Genetics, Diagnostics