Financial concerns is a primary worry.
An overwhelming majority of patients list cost as number one on their worry list.
Only a small minority of the world’s population is assured free or reduced cost access to infertility treatments.
An international survey of IVF costs and benefits to society pointed out that U.S. costs for IVF are the highest in the world. Up to 75% of the couples in the U.S. who need fertility treatments do not get it because of financial concerns – it is too expensive. Especially since more than one cycle is commonly needed, the cost is a barrier to many people.
In some states, however, there is mandated coverage for infertility care. There, the utilization rates are high, on par with western European countries that provide government support. Unfortunately, this is not the case in the state of Georgia. The value of IVF is incontestable to patients faced with infertility who do not have other alternatives to have children; the ultimate value of children is high in the list of priorities.
Infertility is a disease, and should be treated in the same way as any other disease by health services and insurance plans.
Dr. Richard Kennedy, Secretary General of the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) said, “Those who want children and can’t have them undergo great heartache… Yes, it can often be expensive in the short term, but many studies show that the payback to society from successful infertility treatment more than justifies the initial outlay.”
We are frequently asked how we help patients with financial concerns.
It is not just the IVF fee that bears the total costs. First, we judiciously select work-up criteria. We do not have a “one-size-fits-all” approach to our patients. The tests we run are carefully chosen for each individual.
Another way we keep costs low is by cutting a patient’s drug costs. We do this by selecting drug doses, companies and products carefully. We have researched which companies offer the best prices, and we only deal with them.
There are other efforts to reduce the cost. One way to alleviate the financial concerns, to some degree, is through a program that offers Natural IVF and Mini Stim IVF, using minimal stimulation protocols thereby also saving money on the expensive IVF drugs. This is an excellent choice for many women who have financial concerns about the cost of fertility treatments.
At Pathways Fertility, we are passionate about improving access to those who don’t live in states or countries with IVF mandates.
Our low cost IVF programs are designed for the majority of patients who have financial concerns. The word is out, “Finally, fertility treatments we can afford.”
Contact us if you would like more information about how our fertility doctors keep our costs low.
