Latest news with #fertilitytreatment
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fertility financing 101: How to afford IVF
IVF costs can range from $12,000 to over $41,000 per cycle, depending on location and medication needs. Unexpected costs, such as emergency visits, additional medication and travel, can also significantly increase the total expense. Personal loans, HELOCs and credit cards can help bridge the gap between insurance coverage and the total cost. Consider clinic success rates, less expensive fertility treatments and funding options before committing to a treatment plan. The financial burden of in vitro fertilization (IVF) can be significant for couples struggling with infertility. While insurance may cover some aspects of treatment, many expenses remain out-of-pocket. Understanding the different financing options can help provide insight into what to consider before taking on debt to fund fertility treatments. The cost of IVF varies widely depending on the clinic, location and the specific procedures required. For Denny Ceizyk, a senior writer for the loans team at Bankrate, IVF was a $70,000, six-year journey from 1996 to 2002 before he and his wife welcomed their child. Adjusted for inflation, this comes out to be roughly $144,000 in 2025. For Ceizyk, IVF costs ranged from $6,000 for a basic cycle in Arizona to $20,000 for a more advanced procedure in New Jersey. This included specialized treatments, medications and travel expenses. In 2025 dollars, this is $12,340 to $41,150. 'Most of the expense was for 'transfer' day when the embryos were transferred into my wife after being grown for several days,' Ceizyk shared. 'Unexpected costs included infertility drugs, which weren't always accounted for in the initial price sheet. We had to scramble to buy extra medication if things weren't progressing as planned.' These wide-ranging costs highlight why it's critical to plan ahead. Even with insurance or clinic discounts, IVF is a significant financial undertaking. Understanding the full scope of potential expenses — but upfront and unexpected — can help you make informed decisions and avoid surprise bills along the way. When choosing a fertility treatment, know that IUI (intrauterine insemination) is generally a less invasive, less costly (in vitro fertilization) is typically more successful, though it is more complex and costly. This table breaks down each type of IVF cost in major U.S. cities and regions based on data collected by FertilityIQ.. These costs include consultation fees, medication and common add-on treatments like ICSI and PGT-A. They reflect out-of-pocket costs and may not include hidden expenses like additional cycles, monitoring or travel. Type of cost Atlanta Boston Chicago Los Angeles New Jersey New York City San Francisco SeattleConsultation$282$352$438$320$408$408$410$312Medication$5,000$5,000$5,000$5,000$5,000$5,000$5,000$5,000ICSI$1,687$1,280$1,750$1,763$1,725$2,500$1,891$900PGT-A$4,800$5,111$5,425$5,475$5,000$5,881$5,202$4,700IVF$11,363$8,267$11,666$13,325$10,866$9,705$12,246$12,450 Total IVF cost $23,132 $20,010 $24,279 $25,883 $22,999 $23,494 $24,749 $23,363 Several states have laws requiring insurers to offer or provide coverage for infertility diagnosis and treatment. These mandates vary widely in scope, from comprehensive IVF coverage to limited diagnostic testing. Understanding which states require coverage — and what kind — can help you better anticipate costs and explore all available options. States with infertility insurance coverage laws Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Hawaii Illinois Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Montana New Hampshire New Jersey New York Ohio Rhode Island Texas Utah Washington, D.C. Those who have insurance through a state exchange may also have IVF coverage. Some states, such as California and Texas, require that insurance companies within their state offer IVF coverage. To find out the insurance coverage requirements where you live, check the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), which details IVF coverage requirements for many states. Bear in mind, however, that the extent of health insurance coverage for IVF will vary significantly depending on the health insurance company and even the state you live in. For instance, in New Jersey health insurers must provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. This mandate includes covering in vitro fertilization. In contrast, Louisiana's laws state that while insurers are prohibited from excluding coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that result in infertility, insurers are not required to cover fertility drugs, in vitro fertilization or other assisted reproductive techniques. Before pursuing IVF, it's essential to consider the full scope of potential expenses. Doctor's visits and medical exams. Medications for home use. Genetic testing. Surgical procedures and embryo transfers. Aftercare and follow-up appointments. 'There's a price sheet that lays everything out pretty clearly with each cycle,' notes Ceizyk. 'But unexpected costs, such as extra blood tests or emergency room visits due to the side effects of the egg-growing drugs, can add up quickly.' For many couples, financing IVF requires tapping into multiple sources of funding. Beyond traditional loans and credit cards, there are other ways to manage the high cost of IVF. These options may offer tax advantages, more flexibility or even financial relief through grants or clinic partnerships. Using personal savings is one of the most straightforward ways to pay for IVF treatment. It allows you to avoid debt, interest charges and loan approval processes — all of which can add stress during an already emotional time. If you have the funds available, tapping your savings may be the most cost-effective route. On the flip side, fertility treatments can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and these expenses can quickly deplete an emergency fund or delay other financial goals. If you plan to use savings for IVF, consider creating a dedicated fertility fund separate from your general savings. Money tip: Some clinics offer discounts for patients paying upfront with cash, so be sure to ask about savings incentives if you're using your own funds or have the money from a loan available. If you have access to an FSA or HSA through your insurance plan, you can use those tax-advantaged funds to pay for eligible IVF expenses. While coverage varies, these accounts typically allow you to use pre-tax dollars for medications, lab work, diagnostic testing and portions of treatment. Be sure to check your plan's specific rules regarding treatment options and how costs are paid. Several nonprofit organizations offer grants to individuals and couples undergoing fertility treatments. Programs like the Cade Foundation, Baby Quest Foundation and Hope for Fertility provide financial assistance to help cover the cost of IVF. While grants are highly competitive and often require an application and personal story, they can significantly offset costs for recipients. Personal loans are increasingly popular for covering the high costs of fertility treatments, and lenders may offer IVF loans or allow you to use a general purpose personal loan to pay for treatment costs. Many lenders offer loans up to $50,000 — and a select few offer loans up to $100,000 — that can be repaid over the course of five to seven years. According to Haiyan Huang, Chief Credit Officer at Prosper, personal loans provide flexibility and can be a more predictable alternative to credit cards. 'Personal loans offer predictable monthly payments and fixed interest rates, which can be much lower than credit card rates,' Huang explains. Additionally, she advises borrowers to carefully assess their repayment capacity. 'Ensure the loan fits comfortably within your overall budget, and consider any associated fees or interest rates. Maintaining a good credit score is crucial to securing more favorable terms.' If you plan to cover multiple cycles of IVF treatments, a personal loan may be the best choice outside of savings and grants. They are unsecured, so you won't risk your home or other assets when you borrow, and personal loan rates start at a current low of 6.49 percent. If you anticipate needing multiple cycles for IVF, a home equity loan or home equity line of credit may be useful. These products allow you to tap into the value of your home, and very few have specific restrictions on how you use your funds. Your home is the collateral for the loan, however, so default could lead to foreclosure. Before you apply, be sure to weigh the risks against the benefits to ensure this is the right funding route for your treatment. Ceizyk initially covered costs using income from his sales job but eventually had to take out a $15,000 home equity line of credit (HELOC) and utilize credit cards to cover additional expenses. 'I liked the HELOC because it had the lowest payment, and we had no plans to sell our house any time soon,' Ceizyk says. 'Same deal with credit cards. I didn't want to have a fixed monthly payment and needed the flexibility of minimum payments if I had to shell out a thousand dollars for drugs in a given week.' A credit card may be a good choice for surprise expenses that come with IFV, but you likely won't have enough of a credit limit to cover the cost of an IVF cycle. That said, you can choose to use credit cards to cover part or all of your IVF costs, especially if you are able to qualify for a 0 percent introductory APR. This can give you time to pay off the balance without interest — but only if you're confident you can repay it before the promotional period ends. Otherwise, you could face interest rates of 25 percent or higher. For those considering a personal loan or other financing options, Ceizyk shared key advice: 'First, find out the full extent of coverage you have with your employer or if you're in a state where some level of IVF coverage is mandated. Second, review the success rates at your clinic to ensure you're making the most of your financial investment.' IVF can be an emotionally and financially taxing journey. Exploring financing options, from HELOCs and credit cards to personal loans with, can provide critical support in managing these costs. By understanding the full financial impact and planning ahead, prospective parents can navigate their IVF journey more confidently and effectively.
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
What to say – and what not to say – to friends, or colleagues having IVF
It is estimated that one in seven couples in the UK will experience difficulties conceiving, and many will go on to have fertility treatment. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) reports that more than 1.3m IVF cycles have been performed in the UK since 1991. I was 32 when I first underwent treatment, and I didn't know anyone else who had been through it. Six years on, a quick headcount of IVF-enduring friends almost reaches double figures; we can no longer consider it rare. If you have friends, family or colleagues in their 30s and 40s, it is highly likely that some will be having IVF (that is not to say that no one younger will be – it is just statistically less likely: the average age is now 36). It can be difficult to know what to say to someone who has shared that this is their path to potential parenthood – the outcome possibly exciting, possibly heartbreaking. From my experience of that challenging time, there are comments that can boost and others that, however well intentioned, can sting. Despite having been on the rollercoaster myself, I have still walked away from conversations with friends regretting my choice of words. I think openness is always the best option; if something slips out that your brain later berates you for, then be honest and share your regret. The self-reflection shows that you care how your words are being received, and that you are trying, which is all that can be asked. Otherwise, this would be my advice: Oh, you're not drinking?The question may seem innocuous, but it is often accompanied by a raised eyebrow, a smug smile or, God forbid, a wink. Most people do not drink alcohol during fertility treatment and acting as if you have just guessed their pregnancy secret will only highlight how upsettingly untrue this is. Children are overrated anywayThe only person allowed to say this is your fabulous child-free-by-choice friend who drinks champagne in sequined outfits while browsing art galleries each weekend, and genuinely doesn't understand all the fuss. Mothers of three who later that day post gushing photos of their children on Instagram should categorically not say this. Why don't you just adopt?Adoption is an incredible thing to do, but it is a very different route to having a family, and a complex process to navigate. When my second cycle of IVF failed, I stayed up drinking red wine and scrolling Instagram for adoption stories through intermittent bouts of tears; they brought me much more comfort than the 1.1m IVF success hashtags. But this was in the private world of my phone; if a friend had suggested I 'just adopt', I would have taken it to mean they thought my pursuit of fertility treatment was foolish and futile. Most people going through IVF will have thoroughly considered all routes to parenthood and suggesting they adopt is unlikely to be enlightening. Rather, it comes across as unsupportive. Who has the issue, then, you or him?I won't gratify this with an explanation, but yes, people honestly ask this. How exciting!This is a difficult one. It is entirely reasonable to feel excited by the thought of your friend becoming pregnant but, for reasons of self-preservation, they will probably be approaching the process cautiously. On average, only 31% of embryo transfers are successful, so there is a careful balance to be had in terms of positive thinking and cautious restraint. I had people clapping with excitement and even congratulating me for starting the process, then telling me I shouldn't think that way if I reminded them of the potential for failure. This sort of toxic positivity left me feeling distanced from the friends who didn't seem to understand my hesitancy towards hope. Well, you never know! Any holidays coming up?Everyone has heard of a couple who had eight rounds of IVF then magically got knocked up on holiday because they 'just relaxed!' This phrase has become so reviled by those trying to conceive that the Big Fat Negative Podcast now sells T-shirts emblazoned with the words. There are myriad reasons why people cannot conceive, and suggesting that lying on a beach might assuage their neuroticism is unlikely to go down well. Did you find the donor online? Like shopping! Is there a photo? What nationality are they?Some people going through IVF will use donors, and obviously all same-sex couples will. I asked two of my gay friends for their input when writing this article; I wanted to know if things had landed in the same way – perhaps approaching IVF without years of disappointment already stacked up meant that it really was exciting. But their views reflected my own, with an additional gripe of being asked inappropriately intimate questions about the donors. People are seemingly obsessed with the donor's looks and nationality, asked outright which partner's egg/sperm was being used, and frequently referred to the donors as the mother or father. These are extremely intrusive questions and not appropriate for casual pub conversations with a friend you see once a year. I'm sorry you're having to go through thisReserved for heterosexual couples where there is obviously a more fun route to the end goal, sometimes a simple acknowledgment that it is not an ideal situation is all that's needed. Just ensure you don't slide from empathetic into dramatic pity. I've seen that face and all it does is scream: 'Oh wow, your life sucks!' I'm here for you if there's anything you needIt might be offering fridge space to make room for their extensive stash of medication, driving them to a clinic appointment, or posting Hobnobs through the letterbox on a day when they are not up for company. Reminding friends that you are there and ready to show up goes further than you think. I don't really know much about itRead the room on this one: if someone is telling you through tears that they are starting IVF, then now is not the time for a science lesson – go and do some background reading instead. But I didn't expect friends to know the ins and outs of the process and always appreciated their honesty in telling me so. I'll get thisThere is no getting away from it: IVF is expensive. NHS funding varies considerably across the UK: the latest figures show that only 24% of cycles in England were NHS-funded, whereas 58% were in Scotland. A single cycle costs about £5,000, and most people will require multiple. People take on second jobs and remortgage their houses to fund treatment. It can be incredibly stressful, so don't make them feel bad if they skip that absurdly priced hen do or suggest dinner at a place with buy one, get one free burgers. Paying the bill for their beetroot smoothie might feel like a drop in the ocean, but it is a kindness that will be noted. NothingMy best friend left a bottle of non-alcoholic wine on our kitchen table with a hand-drawn card of a pineapple, the words 'still 'ere' carefully inked beneath. A colleague put a card in my tray after I asked my manager to let her know I was starting treatment. We never talked about it, but I read her kind words again and again. When I mentioned that the hormones were making me feel exceptionally blue, my schoolfriends, hundreds of miles away, banded together and sent flowers. Sometimes, caring from a distance can feel less confronting and more powerful. I know someone else going through it, if you ever wanted to talkMany people don't know anyone else going through IVF, so if you can connect two willing people, then do. There is a whole sisterhood of big-hearted, needle-wielding warriors out there and, while comparisons can feel dangerous (how many eggs, what grade of embryos etc), with some care and boundary-setting, these obstacles can be navigated and the benefits reaped. My sister-in-law ended up going through three rounds at a similar time to me. We messaged regularly, about optimal needle insertion angles or the pros of nettle tea, or how we weren't sure how many times we could do this. She was the first person I told when I got two blue lines, even before my husband. Our sons were born two weeks apart. That Time Everything Was on Fire by Kerry Downes is published by HarperCollins on 22 May (£16.99). To support the Guardian, order your copy at Delivery charges may apply.
News.com.au
13-05-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Aussie mum sparks national debate after revealing she travelled to the US to seek IVF and choose the gender of her fourth child
An Australian mother has sparked a national debate after she travelled to the US for fertility treatment to choose the gender of her fourth child. Influencer Caitlin Bailey told the Herald Sun that she spent $45,000 to attend a fertility clinic in Los Angelos to conceive a baby girl. The mother of two boys and one girl aged between one and five always wanted two of each sex, so she contacted Gender Selection Australia (GSA) about conceiving another girl as a single parent. The clinic puts Australian families in touch with Californian-based fertility doctor Daniel Potter, who specialises in gender selection to balance families as well as genetic disease screening. Gender selection to balance families is generally banned in Australia, so hundreds of Australian families travel overseas to choose the gender of their baby via IVF, according to GSA's website. The practice is only permitted in Australia to reduce the risk of transmitting serious genetic conditions, diseases or abnormalities from future generations. Connect IVF scientific director Lauren Hiser said while it was possible to know the sex of an embryo prior to it being transferred to a woman's uterus, sex could only be selected in Australia when a genetic component was involved in IVF. Gender selection through IVF was available in NSW between 1999 and 2004, which Ms Hiser said was used mostly for family balancing reasons so people could select the sex they were desiring before pregnancy. 'Whenever people hear about sex selection, they are always very concerned that people are selecting boys over girls, that's the first thing that comes to people's mind,' she said. 'If you look into the data when it was available in NSW, between 1999 and 2004 the ratios did not change. 'In the patients that were able to select based solely on sex, they were actually choosing more girls and doing it for family balancing reasons. 'But sex selection is happening in Australia, it's just not happening within the IVF realm.' A La Trobe University study found that Australian families were terminating pregnancies following non-invasive prenatal testing to find out the sex of their child. Researchers found a cultural preference for sons among some ethnic groups led to more boys than girls being born in Victoria. The naturally occurring ratio worldwide was 105 boys born to every 100 girls; however, the study showed there were 108 and 109 boys born respectively to Indian and Chinese-born mothers for every 100 girls born between 1999-2015 in Victoria. La Trobe Judith Lumley Centre lead researcher Kristina Edvardsson believed some women may be terminating pregnancies after discovering they were expecting a girl and, in other cases, travelled overseas to access non-medical sex selection services through assisted reproduction. 'We know even Australian-born women and men can choose to go overseas and select the sex of their baby, but what we can see from the sex ratios in the Australian-born group is that it's not skewed to any gender,' she said. Ms Hiser said gender selection and whether it should be introduced to minimise harm was an ethical discussion. 'If there are people already getting pregnant, then testing a pregnancy and choosing to terminate, well, could we as an industry stop that from happening?' she said. 'Could we select an embryo before it becomes a pregnancy so people do not have to go through medical terminations or anything more drastic?' Ms Hiser said other international jurisdictions introduced gender selection as a way of reducing infanticide, backyard abortions and other things that could cause harm. 'We have a group of people in Australia that are looking for the services and are willing to travel internationally to achieve that,' she said. 'We have great IVF service in Australia that can do all that, but we are sending our patients overseas to jurisdictions that may not be as well set up, that have higher risks associated and certainly higher costs. 'There's a lot of ethical considerations to be had if we should be selecting for sex or not.' Ms Hiser said reproductive technology laws in Australia sent a lot of citizens overseas to seek treatment. 'People looking for surrogacy, it's not easy to do in Australia so they go overseas, certainly for sex selection and some donor situations as well,' she said. 'Because our laws don't support it, it's easier for people to access that outside of Australia.'
