Health and Life

Cost of “In Vitro Fertilization”

How much does an “in vitro” cost?

The World Health Organization and the National Infertility Association consider infertility to be a disease of the reproductive system. Unfortunately, most organizations do not give infertility the same status, and that is the reason that some individuals and organizations are pushing insurance companies to cover the costs of “in vitro fertilization” (IVF) treatment.

Typical cost

• The average cost of IVF is $12,000. This can also be as low as $10,000 or as high as $15,000. The price is for one cycle of IVF. If a clinic suggests that they charge lower than $10,000, t a person should ask questions about they can afford to do it at this cost.
• Couples spend an average of $6,995 for each additional cycle of IVF.
• Of the different IVF options, surrogacy is the most expensive. Considering the IVF cost, agency fees, legal fees and the payment to the surrogate, it may cost anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000.

Additional cost

• On top of the IVF cost, couples will have to pay for medication cost and the monitoring costs. On average, they will pay an additional $7,000 for the extra costs such as purchase of fertility drugs, blood work, monitoring and ultrasound cost.
• If you need additional assisted technology, the cost will rise. For instance, an ICSI treatment where a single sperm is injected into the embryo is likely to cost an additional $1,000 to $1,500.
• Genetic testing of the embryo (which is known as “PGD”) may cost around $3,000.The price may go down to around $1,800 or rise to around $7,500.
• If you intend to use an egg donor, the price will rise significantly to between $25,000 and $30,000 for a single cycle.
• The cost of using a sperm donor is lower and may cost between $200 and $600 per year. This may range from $13,000 to $17,000 for every IVF cycle.
• Embryo donation is the cheaper of the donor options and may cost between $5,000 and $ 7,000 if the embryo has already being formed.
• Embryo freezing may have an additional cost with yearly storage fees ranging from $200 to $600 per year.

Discounts

• To make IVF more affordable, preliminary tests may be conducted in an obstetrician’s office to minimize the initial cost.
• There are clinics that offer payment programs that are meant to make IVF treatment more affordable. Others offer a refund program where you make a payment of around $20,000 and $30,000 and part of the money is refunded is you do not get pregnant within a given period of time. Before signing for a refund program, find out what they consider as a successful cycle as a positive pregnancy test is different from giving birth.

Shopping for an IVF clinic

• While price comparison is important when choosing an IVF clinic, you should also consider their success rate.
• Genetic testing advancements as well as the single-embryo transfer may reduce cost as well as the medical risks.
• Choose an IVF clinic that is licensed to carry out the procedure. As obvious as that may seem, there are agencies and offices that may try to “cut corners” to reduce cost and increase their market share. Always ask questions about how they handle these procedures.