Financial considerations among adult men undergoing vasectomy: cost analysis and modeling of outpatient costs associated with vasectomy.

Background: A noted barrier to men pursuing vasectomy is the out-of-pocket cost associated with the procedure and required follow-up. Published cost ranges vary widely, may be poor proxies for actual patient cost experience and often fail to include the cost associated with pre-procedure visits and post-vasectomy semen analyses (PVSAs). The study aims to identify a realistic total cost for men undergoing vasectomy. Methods: We examine the charges and payments associated with a vasectomy procedure inclusive of any associated pre-procedure office visit, procedure, and follow-up semen analysis. Data on cost for the pre-procedure office visit and procedure were derived from actual charges/payments for 200 consecutive patients seen in a single medical system between 2022 and 2023. Cost of semen analyses were derived from patient-reported and/or published out-of-pocket costs for LabCorp™, local fertility clinic(s), and Fellow Results: In Model 1 (maximum cost model), the base out-of-pocket cost was $350 plus the cost of PVSA ($139) for an estimated total of $489. The Model 1 average cost was $466. In Model 2 (minimum cost model), the base cost was $276 plus the cost of PVSA ($139) for an estimated total of $415. The Model 2 average cost was $384.42. When incorporating facility fee of $500 with variable insurance coverage, there is a wider range of out-of-pocket cost from $384.42 (full coverage in Model 2) to $1,026 (full facility fee out-of-pocket in Model 1). Conclusions: Based on real-world patient data, there is a definable range of out-of-pocket cost for an insured patient including outpatient visit, vasectomy procedure and PVSA of $384-489. The main driver of variability in cost stemmed from facility fee and the insurer contribution toward this cost. This broadens the definable range of out-of-pocket cost to $384-1,026.