What IVF Costs?
One
of the many medical procedures people might have to help them have a family is
in vitro fertilisation or IVF. Additionally, it is among the most expensive.
According to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, a single IVF round
typically costs between $10,000 and $15,000. IVF and other reproductive
treatments must be covered by insurance companies in several states. However,
the majority of people spend a sizable amount out of pocket.
IVF:
What is it?
Using
IVF, a human egg is fertilised externally and grows into an embryo before being
placed into a woman's uterus. Medically induced ovulation, egg and sperm
retrieval, fertilisation, and embryo transfer are all steps in the procedure.
IVF success rates might vary based on a variety of variables, such as age and
health.
IVF
is a sort of assisted reproductive technique that enables single persons,
same-sex couples, and infertile couples to become parents. According to the
American Society for Reproductive Medicine, most cases of infertility can be
managed with medicine or surgery rather than IVF.
Each
year, IVF helps tens of thousands of babies be born. According to the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which monitors IVF success rates,
about 84,000 babies were born in 2019 that were conceived through IVF or
comparable technologies.
What
is the cost of IVF?
An
IVF cycle typically involves paying a base charge plus additional expenses for
other services, according to a survey of fee tables on multiple fertility clinic
websites. These services could consist of testing, prescriptions,
consultations, and other ongoing operations.
While
the average cost per cycle is between $10,000 and $15,000, it varies depending
on the specifics of each patient, such as whether they have insurance. The
procedure is significantly more expensive if donor eggs or sperm are required,
as well as if a surrogate or gestational carrier is used.
It
may take several IVF treatments to successfully deliver a child, therefore the
overall cost may rise quickly.
Review
and compare pricing at several facilities to get the most accurate estimate. On
their websites, several institutions list their prices.
There
are funding options and IVF grants available for those who qualify if you're
wondering how to pay for IVF.
Does
health insurance cover IVF?
Depending
on the state you live in and the insurance plan you have, you may or may not
have health insurance coverage for reproductive treatments, including IVF. A
analysis of the use and coverage of reproductive services in the United States
conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2020 found that less expensive
services, like testing, are more likely to be covered than more costly ones,
like IVF.
There
are regulations that force insurance companies to pay for some reproductive
services in 15 states. Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio,
Rhode Island, Utah, and West Virginia are among them.
According
to the National Fertility Association, two more states, Colorado and Maine,
have passed laws requiring coverage that will go into effect in 2023 and 2024,
respectively.
State
legislation in Texas and California require insurance providers to provide at
least one plan that covers fertility services. Since employers are not
obligated to buy those plans, that does not guarantee coverage.
Restrictions
might make it necessary for people to pay for fertility services out of pocket,
even in states where insurance coverage is required. Because of their size or
the fact that they are self-funded, some employers are free from statutory
requirements. States frequently impose caps that allow insurance companies to
stop covering costs after a specific amount or set criteria that couples must
meet in order to be eligible for treatment.
Could
state-level limits on abortion affect IVF?
As
of right now, it doesn't seem as though state restrictions on abortion have any
impact on IVF in those states. However, experts and advocates in reproductive
health are nonetheless concerned that existing or upcoming state legislation
may contain wording that would ban assisted reproductive technology since it
uses human embryos.
After
Roe v. Wade was reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court, 13 state statutes that led
to abortion restrictions were examined by the American Society for Reproductive
Medicine. The ASRM discovered that depending on how terminology like
"embryo," "unborn child," or "fertilisation" are
defined, state legislation may have an impact on operations like IVF.
The
majority of the state legislation examined specifically discuss how to treat
embryos inside of pregnant women. But because Utah's statute is phrased so
broadly, it might also apply to lab-made embryos. Multiple embryos are frequently
produced during IVF, some of which are not placed within the uterus of the
patient. The remainder of the embryos is either given or discarded for
research.
According
to [Utah's] definition of an abortion, "one may argue that discarding an
embryo or giving an embryo for research usage is an intentional or attempted
killing of a live unborn child and constitutes an abortion."
According
to the paper, even while current abortion regulations might not directly affect
IVF, they do pave the way for future legislation that would.
In
the post-Roe world, "fetal personhood" legislation, which grants
fetuses and embryos the same legal standing as a human being outside the womb,
may become more prevalent, putting routine ART procedures like IVF,
preimplantation genetic testing, and the discarding of unused embryos at risk
of legal challenge and exposing their practitioners to potential liability, the
report states.