Treatment FAQ

how to get help with ivf or iui treatment cost

by Dr. Clara Funk Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Ways to Pay Less (and Get Cash) for IVF Treatment

  • Read Your Insurance Plan Carefully. You may be eligible for at least partial coverage of the cost for infertility treatments. ...
  • Use Your Health Savings Dollars. Another option is tapping into a flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings plan (HSA) if you have one.
  • Price Shop and Negotiate. You'll want to consider more than success rates when you're choosing a fertility clinic. ...
  • Medical Tourism for IVF. Another option for reduced cost IVF treatment is medical tourism. 5  This requires you to travel to another country for fertility treatment.
  • Saving Money on Fertility Drugs. Fertility drugs make up a huge percentage of overall IVF costs. ...
  • Shared Risk or IVF Refund Programs. Choosing a shared-risk or refund IVF program may help you recoup your costs if treatments aren’t successful.
  • Fertility Grants and Scholarships. You can also think about applying for a fertility grant or scholarship. ...
  • Crowdfunding for IVF. You've probably received crowdfunding requests from friends or at least seen crowdfunding campaigns shared on social media.
  • Borrow the Cash. You might consider borrowing money to pay for IVF treatments. ...

Grants, loans, payment plans and other financial assistance programs can help you afford in-vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI) or other fertility treatments out-of-pocket.Nov 29, 2021

Full Answer

What is the cost of IVF vs IUI?

While an IUI cycle costs $150 - 4,000, an IVF cycle typically costs roughly $20,000 per cycle ($12,000 for treatment, $5,000 for drugs, $3,000 for add-ons). Below we compare the value (effectiveness divided by cost) for IUI and IVF. To keep life simple, we think of IVF delivering:

What is the cost of in house financing for IVF treatment?

CNY Fertility offers in house financing up to two years for any treatment including IUI, IVF, FET, Donor Eggs, Tubal Ligation Reversals, Vasectomy Reversals, and more. There is an account management fee of roughly $40/month but there is no interest charged for financing.

Where can I get help with the cost of fertility treatment?

Grants and scholarships. A handful of nonprofit organizations, such as the Pay It Forward Foundation and the Tinina Q Cade Foundation, provide grants to help with the cost of fertility treatment.

What are the refund and discount options available for IVF treatment?

Fertility Access offers a variety of refund and discount options for patients pursuing IVF treatment which bundle fees for significant cost savings. Our programs also provide peace of mind, with refund options in the event treatment is unsuccessful. There are multiple options to suit patients’ unique treatment and financial needs.

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How do people afford IVF meds?

You might consider borrowing money to pay for IVF treatments. Borrowing options go beyond credit cards and might involve dipping into retirement funds, taking out a home equity loan or a medical loan, or even asking mom or dad for cash.

Does insurance make you do IUI before IVF?

“Knowing what insurance benefits you have available to you may be a factor in deciding what treatment to undertake,” Armstrong says. Many doctors will encourage up to six rounds of IUI before starting IVF. Some insurance plans will only cover IVF if you've had a certain number of IUIs.

How much is IUI vs IVF?

An IUI cycle—including all monitoring and the insemination procedure but not including medication—costs about $1,000. An IVF cycle—including all monitoring, the egg retrieval, and the embryo transfer but not including medication—costs about $12,000–$20,000, depending on where it's performed.

How much IUI typically cost?

IUI is usually less expensive than other fertility treatments, like IVF. In general, it costs about $300-$1,000 without insurance. A few states have laws that say health insurance companies must cover some or all of the costs of infertility treatment if you meet certain requirements.

Does Aflac cover infertility?

AFLAC. AFLAC and other brands offer supplemental health insurance that may cover infertility and IVF outcomes – but not the treatments themselves.

Does Blue Cross Blue Shield cover IVF in MA?

Medication for donor egg IVF is covered for the donor under the following conditions: • Recipient is a member with BCBSMA pharmacy benefits, AND • Donor is known to the member, OR • Infertility medications for anonymous donors if the member is sole recipient of unknown donor eggs.

How successful is IUI on first try?

On average, a woman under 35 will have a 10 to 20 percent chance of pregnancy with each IUI, while a woman over 40 will have a two to five percent chance.

Which is more successful IVF or IUI?

In general, IVF has higher success rates than IUI. It is the most highly recommended method for women over the age of 40. Additionally, IVF gives your fertility doctor and the intended parents more have over the number of embryos transferred into the uterus, which lowers the risk of multiple births.

How many times should you try IUI before IVF?

Therefore, the average number of IUIs done before IVF has decreased significantly over the past 15 years. Whereas most couples would do 3-6 IUI cycles before IVF treatment in the early 1990's, today most couples choose to move on to IVF after 2 or 3 failed artificial insemination cycles.

Can you skip IUI straight to IVF?

You may skip straight to IVF if your fallopian tubes are blocked, if your partner's sperm counts are low, if you have severe endometriosis or if you're freezing eggs or embryos. Or, you may make the decision to try IVF after at least three failed cycles of IUI.

How many cycles before IUI is successful?

Statistics show that the majority of IUI pregnancies occur in the first three to four cycles of IUI. One study concluded that 88% of all successful IUIs happen within three cycles and 95% within four. Another study found that 90% of IUI pregnancies occur in the first three cycles of IUI.

How long does IUI take to get pregnant?

How long does it take to get pregnant using IUI? Since insemination occurs during ovulation, it takes approximately two weeks after the procedure to determine if the treatment is successful after a positive pregnancy test.

How much does it cost to get an IUI cycle?

A typical IUI cycle costs $500 to $4,000 with three critical inputs that determine the final price. Medication: Drugs can serve a variety of purposes but they principally help to ensure that a woman ovulates one or more eggs at the right time. Clomid or letrozole is most often used and costs $100 per cycle.

How much is the risk of multiple birth after IUI?

The risk of having a multiple gestation birth after an IUI cycle is 0.5 - 2.5% but per pregnancy the risk is high (8 - 30%). Multiples can drive high costs at delivery (often covered by insurance) and in the future (not covered by insurance) IUI is far less effective (2 - 10x) than IVF, but is also far less costly (5 - 40x).

Why are many plans reluctant to cover IUI?

This is because they question the trade-off of cost ($2,000 for the drugs) and risk (higher risk of multiple births) in light of the benefit (slightly higher birth rate).

How much does a trigger shot cost?

Finally, a “trigger shot” is often (but not always) given to induce ovulation and costs $50 - $250. Monitoring & Bloodwork: This allows your doctor to ensure that follicles (containing eggs) are growing, but not at a rate or speed that could be dangerous and lead to a multiple gestation birth.

Does Aetna have a limit on IUI?

Alternatively, Aetna takes a more positive view of IUI, often places no limitations on the number of IUIs patients can have subsidized, and requires patients to try IUI multiple times before advancing to IVF.

Does insurance cover sperm wash?

For instance, under some plans, if the man’s coverage pays for IUI, insurance will only cover “his treatment,” namely the sperm wash.

Can IUI cause multiple births?

If clomid, letrozole or especially gonadotropins are used during an IUI, the risk of a multiple birth increases dramatically. However, that is if a pregnancy even happens in the first place after IUI. Since IUIs seldom lead to a pregnancy, the absolute risk of a multiple birth after a single IUI cycle is 1 - 3%.

How much does IUI cost?

IUI: around $400 per insemination. Once you have sperm, you need to get it to the right place in order for pregnancy to happen. That’s where IUI can come into play. Some women are given drugs to stimulate egg production as part of an IUI cycle, which can add to the costs.

What is an embryo donation?

When you opt for an embryo donation, you get an egg that’s already been fertilized by sperm and is ready for implantation in the uterus. Most embryo donations are done via religious-based non-profits, which help match those with unused embryos with folks who are looking to become parents in this way.

Should I take a deep breath before fertility treatment?

OK, take a deep breath before you start diving into your couch cushions and rooting for spare change. Sitting down with your doctor’s billing office before you start any fertility treatment can be a good way to prevent sudden unexpected fees from popping up and surprising you along your fertility treatment journey.

Can you donate sperm to make an embryo?

Sperm, of course, is half of the equation when it comes to creating an embryo. You’ll need it to fertilize an egg in order to make a baby. A sperm donation is typically done via a purchase of an anonymous donor’s sperm from a sperm bank, although some folks do have friends or family who will make the donation for free.

How is infertility diagnosed?

Infertility is usually diagnosed after having both male and female fertility testing and the consultation of a reproductive endocrinologist. If you’re considering whether or not IUI is a good fit for you and curious about the cost of an artificial insemination (or the multiple IUIs it may take you to have a baby), keep reading.

How much does it cost to monitor ovarian function?

This generally costs $1000-2000 depending on the clinic, but is not always required.

How much does a letrozole cycle cost?

Costs can be as low as $30 for a letrozole only cycle to about $2000 for a gonadotropin (often used for older patients or those with lower ovarian reserve). A trigger shot is frequently given to induce ovulation and properly time the insemination.

How many states have fertility insurance?

Still, at the present time, only 18 states have mandated fertility insurance coverage. The degree to which IUIs, medication, and monitoring are covered varies by plan. Additionally, insurance companies sometimes place limitations on the number of procedures that are covered or what specific medications they will cover.

Is it a good time to talk to a doctor about IVF?

It is usually a good time to speak to a doctor about your options after failing three IUIs as IVF may become more time and cost favorable due to its higher success rate. The costs of artificial insemination may not be as important to you as the cost of IVF as insurance coverage tends to be more favorable for IUI treatment.

How to save money on fertility drugs?

Another way to save money on fertility drugs is to look into discount programs and mail-in-refund programs that are offered by some pharmaceutical companies. For example, EMD Serono (the maker of Gonal-F), offers a few programs to help people save on fertility drug costs.

How many IVF cycles do I need to get pregnant?

Considering that some couples may need up to three IVF cycles to get pregnant, plus the unfortunate fact that even high-tech IVF is no guarantee—it’s enough to make your head spin.

Can I carry over my HSA for IVF?

With an HSA, funds do carry over. If you’ve been carrying funds over for years, you might have a good amount of cash saved that could be put toward IVF. There may be limits on what kinds of medical treatments can be paid for with an FSA or HSA, but fertility treatments are usually included.

Can I borrow money for IVF?

You might consider borrowing money to pay for IVF treatments. Borrowing options go beyond credit cards and might involve dipping into retirement funds, taking out a home equity loan or a medical loan, or even asking mom or dad for cash . Every option has its pros and cons, which you'll want to weigh carefully.

Can IVF be refunded?

Choosing a shared-risk or refund IVF program may help you recoup your costs if treatments aren’t successful. With this method, you pay upfront for multiple IVF treatments (the average being three cycles though it can be more or less). The clinic or shared-risk program will promise to refund all (or part) of the money if you do not have a successful IVF cycle within the number of cycles you paid for upfront.

Is it cheaper to travel to another country for IVF?

Traveling abroad for IVF might seem like it would be a more expensive option, but sometimes it's cheaper than if you were to go to a clinic across town (even after you include plane tickets and hotels).

Is fertility grant free money?

Make sure you know what you're accepting if you are lucky enough to win one. Fertility grants and scholarships are far from " free money.". The qualifications for the grant can be quite strict, and since application fees can be high, you'll want to think about it carefully before applying.

Bundl the perfect plan for you

The team behind Bundl has firsthand personal experience with infertility and designed a program that reduces fertility treatment cost, includes financial protection, and offers three core packages you can tailor to your family’s needs.

Guaranteed risk protection

We know that fertility treatments come at a significant cost, financial and emotional. Our industry-first risk protection plans, Success Guard™ and Bundle Guard™, protect your investment by offering full or partial refunds so you can minimize financial burden and focus on building a family.*

Flexibility for your lifestyle

Fertility journeys can change and evolve. According to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, more than 70 percent of fertility patients require more than one treatment cycle before they are successful, but often can’t afford them. Bundl is here to change that.

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