What Is the Cost of In Vitro Fertilization?

For couples and individuals who have difficulty starting or growing their family, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a widely used treatment. IVF involves the fertilization of an egg outside the body and its subsequent implantation into the uterus. IVF not only helps patients conceive, but it also allows specialists at the West Coast Fertility Centers to genetically test embryos prior to their implantation. If you are considering assisted reproduction, you probably have questions about the cost of treatments. You can learn more about your financing options and the cost of IVF during a consultation at our clinic in Orange County. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.

When considering IVF, there are many factors that influence the selection process of the most appropriate fertility center. These factors include the location and focus of the fertility center, the experience of its staff, and of course, the cost of treatment.

First and foremost, it is very important to be guided by a doctor who is specialized in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. The IVF laboratory, which is equipped with advanced technology and is operated by highly skilled embryologists and andrologists, is equally important in achieving success.

At West Coast Fertility Centers, our goal is to provide high-quality affordable fertility care. We work with many insurances and offer affordable pricing for those who do not have insurance coverage for fertility. Our packages are designed to help relieve the stress of fertility treatment costs. We ask patients to make the payment in full at the start of the stimulation medications.

Medical Insurance Options for Fertility Treatment

Due to its complexity, IVF has a fairly high price, although this to a degree depends on the specific procedures which are performed during IVF. Having health insurance coverage for IVF and for fertility drugs can be a major benefit. Unfortunately, many insurance plans do not include fertility coverage.

Every health insurance plan comes with a comprehensive document called an Explanation of Benefits, which has a complete list of health coverage and benefits you are entitled to. You should be fully aware of the important caveats of your insurance coverage before proceeding with fertility treatment. The staff of West Coast Fertility Centers is always happy to help you understand the coverage of your health insurance policy.

For most people, it is actually their employer that is responsible for payment of insurance benefits. While some employers prioritize offering insurance plans that cover fertility treatment, most do not since these plans tend to be more expensive. Some states have implemented fertility coverage mandates, requiring employers to offer plans which include fertility services. California currently only requires coverage of fertility preservation for cancer patients but does not have a broad fertility coverage mandate like many progressive states on the East Coast.

The patient should carefully read and understand the contents of the medical insurance policy and get in touch with their employer or human resources department to check what infertility treatment benefits are available. Some infertility treatment plans only cover for consultation with no treatment benefit, while other plans may cover fertility testing only.

In both scenarios, the insured or the patient needs to pay an annual deductible. There can also be a co-payment clause which may be in the form of a fixed amount or some percentage of the total expense. To reiterate, the patient is responsible for both the deductible and the co-payment. Moreover, the majority of HMO policies mandate prior authorization in writing before any amount is paid by the insurer.

Costs To Be Considered for Fertility Diagnosis and Treatment

Once you start fertility treatments to complete your family, initial costs to be incurred are for diagnostic testing which may go up to thousands of dollars. Diagnostic tests may be covered by your insurance plan, though this may vary by state. In California, diagnostic tests for infertility are often not covered by insurance. However, other states may mandate insurance companies to cover some of these tests. Other costs may include artificial insemination, which can be as high as a few thousand dollars for a single treatment cycle and IVF costs which may fall in the range from $5,000 to $20,000 per treatment cycle.

IVF costs include doctor’s fees, medications, IVF lab procedures, surgery center charges, embryo genetic testing, anesthesia charges, etc. Some fertility centers are not transparent while explaining cost structure to patients and tend to exclude the mentioned fees from their initial base cost. Unfortunately, in such a scenario, the patients cannot estimate their total cost before starting treatment.

Use of third-party reproduction, such as egg donation and gestational carrier, may substantially increase the cost of IVF treatment.

IVF Fee Structure

West Coast Fertility Centers takes into consideration that most insurance companies and employers do not offer IVF benefits. Consequently, we have structured affordable plans to overcome any hurdles you may have to undergo IVF treatment. Our flexible fee plans cover a comprehensive package to cover the majority of the services used in the IVF treatment. In case you require more than one cycle of IVF, our plans are structured to discount multiple cycles.

Going one step further, West Coast Fertility Centers offers unique fee plans for egg donation and gestational carrier IVF cycles. To get a complete overview of our plans, please get in touch with our Financial Counselors who are always ready to help you.

IVF Cost Plans To Keep at Bay

We emphasize that all patients should diligently evaluate IVF costs prior to committing to treatment at a center. We especially urge patients to carefully assess quality of services covered by companies offering low-cost IVF.

Listed below are some of the so-called low-cost IVF plans offered by other fertility centers, which are beyond our scope:

Money-back guarantee plans: In such plans offered by other centers, patients make a high up-front payment but only receive a partial refund if their IVF treatment fails. These plans are preferentially offered to patients who are likely to become pregnant while excluding poorer prognosis patients. Typically, patients end up paying up to 50% more than the normal IVF cost plans.

Hidden fees charged by other fertility clinics: In the market, there are many fertility centers that will lure you with discounted IVF treatment costs. One should understand the offerings before considering any such low-cost IVF treatment plans. Such plans often come with hidden fees, which are disclosed only once patients are already undergoing the IVF process. Selling such plans is clearly unethical and makes couples irate as they tend to pay more for undisclosed add-on fees.

Opting for a Clinic with Transparent Pricing

Despite fertility issues being emotionally daunting, at West Coast Fertility Centers, patients can rely on available options to help. We are committed to providing high-quality care with transparent and reliable cost information. Before starting any treatment in our center, we will provide you with a detailed breakdown of all the costs involved and support your unique financial circumstances. We provide you with hassle-free and rewarding fertility treatment with our latest technology and patient-centric approach.

Please book an appointment with us to decide whether West Coast Fertility Centers is the best choice for you. We are committed to serving you in fulfilling your fertility needs.

We know your time is valuable, and we strive to get you in for an initial appointment within a couple of days. West Coast Fertility Centers team of highly trained doctors and embryologists look forward to guiding you on your fertility journey!