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Published by Vanessa Green
Posted on
March 22,2023
Read Time
8 mins
Published byVanessa Green
Posted on
March 22,2023
Read Time
8 mins
One of the first questions most individuals and couples have when it comes to fertility treatment is: “How much does it cost?”
Most of the time, what they’re looking for is a simple figure they can wrap their head around to start planning and budgeting for their treatment
But the problem is that pricing for fertility treatments is both complex and specific to the individual.
According to the latest data published in Forbes in 2023, the average cost of an IVF cycle is around $20,000. But what you’ll pay for your procedure could be wildly different depending on several factors. Each part of the fertility treatment process will also cost varying amounts for different patients.
So here’s a breakdown of fertility treatment costs to give you a better understanding of where you’ll fit on the scale.
Monitoring
Monitoring during your IVF treatment covers everything from ultrasounds and bloodwork to doctor appointments and lab costs.
[Read our blog post: What I wish I’d known before starting fertility treatment]
These are fairly standard costs though they may differ slightly from clinic to clinic.
Rough costs: $1,500 – $2,500
Medication
Your medication will be one of the most expensive parts of your treatment. You will require different medications for different parts of the fertility treatment cycle, and the costs of those medications will vary greatly as well.
The drugs you’re prescribed during the egg retrieval stage will likely be the most expensive, as making the embryos is the most intensive part of the IVF process. This process involves safely stimulating the ovaries as much as possible to maximize the number of eggs that can be fertilized, and then develop into embryos.
[Read our blog post: Your guide to decoding fertility acronyms and terminology]
After your egg retrieval, you’ll take a different set of drugs for your transfer.
There are two options when it comes to embryo transfers. If you do a fresh transfer (usually on day 5 or 6 after the egg retrieval), you’ll take medications during the egg retrieval cycle to prepare your uterus for the transfer. You’ll pay for this medication upfront, which will give you a better handle on the costs.
If you are doing a freeze all cycle (which you must do if you plan on preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) your embryos or if your uterine lining isn’t ideal for a fresh transfer), the frozen embryo transfer (FET) will be its own cycle. For either fresh or frozen transfers, the medications will be about a quarter of the cost of the egg retrieval cycle.
With either type of transfer, some of the drugs you’re prescribed will be taken until the end of your first trimester, which you should factor into the overall cost of your medications.
However, it’s important to remember your drug protocol (i.e. the medical treatment plan you will undertake as part of your IVF process) will be specific and personalized. For example, someone with PCOS, endometriosis or other female-factor fertility challenges may need more medication than someone with male-factor fertility issues only. This also means the cost of their medication will differ drastically.
Rough costs: $4,500 – $7,000
Procedure
The two most common procedures you’ll go through are the egg retrieval and embryo transfer. The good news is these procedures are relatively quick and minimally invasive, with a short recovery time that often doesn’t require a hospital stay.
However, the costs for lab work done between these two procedures will be the most costly part of fertility treatment for most patients. This is primarily because of fertility clinic lab equipment, which can cost upwards of millions of . This equipment is incredibly sophisticated as it’s used for performing advanced medical procedures. The supplies the equipment uses are also specialized and, therefore, quite costly.
These machines must also be replaced when new, more effective technology comes onto the market. In addition to the equipment, clinics have to cover costs for highly trained staff and the administrative costs related to the regulation of the fertility treatment industry.
Clinics need to recoup these costs through their fees, which is why this part of the process is the most expensive.
Rough costs: $8,000 – $14,000
Storage & Freezing
Storage and freezing of your eggs or embryos will be another cost to consider as part of your fertility treatment. Generally, these costs are fairly standard, but they may not be required if you don’t have any eggs or embryos to freeze or if you opt for a fresh transfer of your embryo.
These costs are also increasing as clinics look to replace their cryopreservation storage units every three to five years. After stories of freezers failing made the headlines a few years ago, clinics have become more focused on ensuring their storage units are in prime shape.
Many labs also choose to purchase malpractice insurance to cover these potential eventualities, and these costs are often passed onto patients, which also increases the cost of storing your eggs and embryo.
Rough cost: Freezing: $800 – $2,500, Storage: $400 – $2,500 annually
Add-Ons
There are additional costs above and beyond the basics when it comes to fertility treatment. These include genetic testing like Preimplantation Genetic Testing (also called PGT-A) and Endometrial Receptivity Analysis (ERA), which is a genetic test performed on a woman’s endometrial lining to determine which day would be the best to transfer the embryo during an IVF cycle.
Other adds-on include assisted hatching, a procedure used alongside IVF to help with embryo hatching and implantation and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), a technique for in vitro fertilization where an individual sperm cell is introduced into an egg cell, which is another add-on at some clinics. Some clinics offer ICSCI as standard.
However, not every clinic will recommend any or all of these extras to every patient, and given your age, fertility history and other factors, they may not be a requirement for you.
Rough costs: $500-$10,000
Donor & Surrogacy Fees
If you need a donor egg or embryo or a surrogate to carry your baby, there will also be additional costs. Specialized agencies generally manage this aspect of the fertility treatment process, and their costs will differ depending on your specific circumstances. Some clinics have their own agencies, but more often than not, agencies operate outside of the clinic.
[Read our blog post: Fertility care is broken – why we need a better way forward]
Most agencies offer a flat fee for managing this service, but there will likely be legal fees and psychologist fees on top of their costs as well.
You can reduce costs if you’re using a known donor (i.e. a friend or family member), but there will likely still be some additional administrative costs to pay.
Rough costs: Varies widely
Total costs (excluding donor and surrogacy fees): $15,700 – $36,000
Understanding state-mandated insurance coverage
The good news is that you may be able to get financial help for fertility treatment through employer-provided healthcare insurance.
Fertility coverage differs from state to state. Here is a list of the states that mandate private insurers to cover some form of fertility coverage.
It’s worth checking to see exactly what is covered by your state’s mandate. Generally, it won’t cover all costs, but it may help offset a portion of it. Make sure to read the fine print to understand what requirements you have to meet to qualify for coverage as well.
You’ll also want to find out how the coverage is paid out, as sometimes patients have to wait months or even years to get their payment, leaving them on the hook financially in the interim.
Getting support at each stage of your fertility journey
The reality of fertility treatment costs is that they are complicated and different for each patient. Everyone will have their own needs and specific questions about how treatment will work for them. As well as understanding the costs of fertility treatment, the best way to be prepared for the experience is by getting answers to your questions. That’s where HeraCare+ comes in.
Our goal is to help you become an advocate for your fertility experience. We’ll help answer your questions so you can go to your clinic armed with the information you need to have productive conversations with your healthcare providers and make the decision that’s right for you.
Want to learn more? Take a look at Hera Care+ to see how our team of fertility experts can help guide you through this process.
