Cheap IVF – The Top Ten Ways To Get It
For many couples struggling with infertility, the high price of parenthood is the biggest setback toward building a family. Not only do overpriced fertility treatments come with unexpected costs and uncertain outcomes; most insurance companies will not pay for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other related treatments. The good news is that there are ways to go around the system and obtain cheap IVF without sacrificing the quality of the procedure. In fact, you’ll find that many of these cheaper alternatives are gentler on your body than traditional IVF treatments. Without further ado, let’s count down the top ten ways to get an inexpensive IVF.
10. Grant programs
Some non-profit organizations award deserving couples with grants for IVF and related treatments. Although the chances of getting an IVF grant are competitive and there are some strings attached, your odds of getting an IVF treatment for less through this method is zero if you don’t apply! The process for application for a grant usually involves writing an essay describing your infertility problems, proof of income, and other financial documents. Those who get awarded the grant often have to do public relations work for the organization. Some grants do not cover fertility medications and other extra treatments you may need to take. You may also need to go to an out-of-state fertility clinic affiliated with the organization rather than a clinic of your choice. Still, a grant program is a great way to get IVF for far less than its regular cost.
9. Shared risk programs
If you are under the age of 37 and the clinic of your choice offers a shared risk program, don’t hesitate to send your application. A shared risk program reduces your financial risk by giving some or all your money back if you don’t get pregnant. Basically, you pay a certain amount, usually smaller than the cost of a regular IVF. In exchange, you get a package deal with a certain amount of IVF cycles. If you do not give birth to a healthy baby after all these cycles, the clinic returns your money. Of course, there are a couple of drawbacks. First, not everyone can avail of a shared risk program. Clinics are businesses after all, and they will only choose pre-screened applicants who are likely to get pregnant after one or two cycles. If do qualify for a shared risk program, make sure you read the fine print before signing. Know what the program covers, what it doesn’t cover, the number of cycles, and how much money you will be getting back if it fails.
8. Assisted hatching
Instead of signing up for multiple cycles, you can avail of additional technologies to increase your chances of getting pregnant now. One such approach is called assisted hatching. The procedure is based on the fact that embryos do not implant until the sixth day; until then, the embryo develops within its tough outer shell, or zona pellucida. On day six, the zona pellucida thins naturally, allowing the embryo to “hatch” and implant itself onto the uterine wall. Many experts believe that the embryo’s inability to break out of the zona pellucida is the reason why many IVF cycles end without a pregnancy. Assisted hatching may cost several hundred dollars more, but a successful pregnancy through the help of technology may save you a lot more money in the long run by reducing your need to sign up for additional IVF cycles to achieve pregnancy .
7. ICSI
Another procedure that can help you conceive during your first try is intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI. Basically, ICSI is a fancy way of saying “injecting a sperm into the middle of an egg” and making sure most eggs become embryos. With micro-sized tools and a powerful microscope, an embryologist will pick up a single healthy sperm using a tiny hollow needle. The needle is then carefully inserted through the egg’s outer shell. Once inside, the sperm is introduced into the cytoplasm or inner part of the egg. 75-85% ICSI eggs eventually develop into healthy, viable embryos, even among couples suffering from male factor infertility.
6. PGD
Sometimes, IVF cycles fail because the embryos that were transferred were genetically incapable of sustaining normal development. To prevent this from happening, you can avail of an embryo screening test called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). PGD is done by removing a single cell from a 3-day embryo to test for specific genetic abnormalities that can prevent proper implantation and growth. This allows your embryologist to select the healthiest embryos for transfer. Like assisted hatching and ICSI, PGD will entail additional costs – as much as $4,500 if you get it done in the United States. In other countries, PGD does not get any more expensive than $2,000. It may be especially worth it to include this procedure if you get your IVF done abroad, if you have suffered repeated miscarriages, or if there are known genetic defects in your family history.
5. Clinical trials
Participating in clinical trials is a great way to receive IVF for low or no costs, or to experience new technologies in reproductive health. There are hundreds of clinical trials conducted each year, and clinics will always need patients to participate in them. Clinicaltrials.gov has an extensive list of trials in need of participants. Before you sign the dotted line, make sure the purpose of the trial has been explained in detail, including the suspected side effects and risks. Check if the project has been reviewed and approved by a Review Board at the hospital, medical school, or clinic involved. Some tests may require a small payment, so ask if there are any additional fees required.
4. Multiple cycle packages
While it’s not uncommon for patients to get pregnant during their first cycle, most get to take home a baby after their second or third try. Instead of paying for the full amount the second time around, see if the clinic offers a multiple cycle package at a discounted rate. The number of cycles, rates, and plans vary from clinic to clinic, and may require additional fees for the cryopreservation or freezing of the embryos. You will also have to accomplish the additional cycles within a timeframe of 12-16 months. If your chances of conceiving right away look small, availing of a multiple cycle package is one way to get the succeeding cycles for less.
3. Minimal stimulation
In a traditional IVF cycle, at least $4,000 goes to the medications need to stimulate multiple egg production. These fertility drugs contain a man-made form of the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which allows the release of 12 or more eggs per cycle. On the other hand, a minimal stimulation IVF cycle does away with the injectible FSH and uses a generic fertility drug called clomiphene citrate, which only costs $11 per cycle. Instead of introducing FSH into the bloodstream, clomiphene citrate stimulates the pituitary gland to produce FSH and trigger the maturation of up to six viable eggs per cycle. While fewer eggs mean fewer embryos and a lower chance of conceiving, younger couples with otherwise healthy eggs and sperm have had no trouble getting pregnant through a minimal stimulation IVF.
2. Natural cycle
Did you know that the world’s first IVF baby Louise Brown was born through a natural cycle? Unlike minimal stimulation, natural cycle IVF makes no use of fertility drugs at all – it only involves collecting and fertilizing the one egg you naturally release during your monthly cycle. Natural cycles are sometimes cheaper than minimal stimulation because you won’t need to shoulder the cost of preserving the remaining eggs. However, you are better off with a minimal stimulation cycle if you have irregular periods and problems ovulating normally.
1. Medical tourism
If you’ve always wanted to go on an exotic vacation but never had the time, why not hit two birds with one stone and get your IVF done abroad? Even with transportation and lodging, the cost of IVF abroad is about 50-80 percent cheaper than the cost in the UK and the USA. Doctors in India, Thailand, Mexico, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East use the same cutting-edge technology and medical knowledge, but charge far less due to the lower cost of living. In fact, medical tourism for infertility treatments is now a chic option for travel-savvy couples, with many available package deals for airfare, lodging, and the IVF treatment itself.
