Fertility Treatment Costs
Upon diagnosis, many fertility patients are relieved to learn that there are effective treatment options available for their conditions. This initial surge of hope is often tempered by the discovery that such treatments can have a per cycle cost (fertility treatment is generally synchronized with ovulation and the menstrual cycle, thus each cycle represents an opportunity for treatment with an associated cost per cycle) as high as $6,000 for fertility drug therapy and as much as $10,000 for assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF. When you consider the odds that multiple cycles are often attempted, these costs can add up very quickly. Many individuals and couples pursuing fertility treatment learn that these costs are not covered by their insurance or learn that their insurance covers only a very limited portion. This discovery calls in the need to analyze finances and priorities, as well as a need to become truly informed of the very real risks and rewards of treatment.
Its important to understand that no matter what you are willing or able to spend or which specialists you choose, fertility treatment is never a sure bet. Statistically, 50-60% of couples who pursue fertility treatment eventually do experience a successful pregnancy. This means that fertility treatment is a very encouraging option, but one that comes with a very real financial and emotional risks – only you can decide if investing in fertility treatment is right for you.
Placing the potential costs of fertility treatment in the context of the larger child rearing picture may help to put things in perspective for you. The chart below breaks the expenses of child rearing into 5 stages. Stages 1 and 2 represent the added burdens that apply only to couples who have been unable to conceive on their own. For some, many of the expenses incurred in stage 1, diagnoses are covered by insurance. However most everyone can expect to incur a significant portion if not all of the expenses involved in stage 2, fertility treatment. These fertility treatment expenses are often incurred by younger couples just starting out, making infertility a particularly untimely financial burden for them. Also, while a college eduction likewise represents a potentially large expense over a relatively short time span, a family typically has up to 18 years to anticipate and plan for this expense -not to mention that a variety of financing options are often readily available. By contrast the sudden unexpected expense of fertility treatment, coupled with a lack of insurance coverage or visible financing options, makes an infertility diagnoses financially taxing for almost everyone.
Younger couples may have the option of postponing treatment to save up (because the chances for conception tend to decrease with age, talk with your doctor about this option), or continuing non-assisted avenues until such a time as finances or coverage improve. However, for many, the prospect of postponing treatment is not acceptable. Due to age, diagnosis, or out of an understandable desire to realize the dream of parenthood as soon as possible, you may be inclined to pursue treatment immediately. If this is the case for you, now is the time to seriously weigh the pros and cons of fertility treatment, come to terms with its uncertainty, and talk with your doctor about the specific costs associated with treatment based on the specifics of your diagnosis. Once armed with both the facts associated with your diagnosis and your commitment to plot a treatment strategy tailored to your circumstances, you will be relived to know that there are some tangible things you can do to today to begin to take control of the costs associated with your impending treatment. Hopefully, these actions will help maximise your treatment options and give you a greater sense of control over your situation.
