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Unfortunately, IVF is expensive. This expense is due to the
need for highly specialized equipment devoted entirely to this
treatment, costly medications used in treatment, specialized
surgical procedures and the many man-hours of work put in by
our fertility specialists , laboratory and nursing staff. We have made every
effort to keep our fee as reasonable as possible.
The IVF fee reflects a "package price" and will
cover the following aspects of treatment: trial embryo transfer,
sonography, out patient visits and blood tests done to monitor
the egg stimulation, egg retrieval fees (surgeon, anesthesia),
laboratory charges for sperm preparation on the day of egg
retrieval, egg search, egg and embryo culture, embryo transfer
and pregnancy blood test. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection
(ICSI) and embryo cryopreservation will incur additional fees.
Preliminary testing (IVF sperm evaluation, uterine cavity
assessment (SIS or HSG), blood tests for ovarian reserve and
infectious disease testing, antral follicle count) and medications
are not included in the fee (see price list on page 2).
The
fee for an IVF cycle must be paid before treatment can be
scheduled. In some cases, if the ovaries fail to respond properly,
the cycle may be terminated prior to egg retrieval and charges
for that cycle will be substantially less than a complete
cycle. A partial refund may be issued unless you are planning
on having another IVF cycle.
The IVF package price consists of $5000 to be paid to the
Reproductive Medicine and Surgery Center of Virginia and $3400
to be paid to the Martha Jefferson Reproductive Technology
Laboratory. This is a discounted price for patients who prepay
the entire fee before treatment. This does not include medications
(see below). If intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is
needed, an additional fee of $1,750 is also paid to the Reproductive
Technology Lab. Both entities offer a payment plan that is
administered internally and not outsourced to a bank or credit
card institution and therefore is less hassle and more affordable
to most couples.
Approximately 40% of couples will have viable excess embryos
and an opportunity to cryopreserve (freeze) them.
- Prepayment (we accept cash, check, Visa, or MasterCard)
- IVF “Success or Refund Program”
- RMSCVA Payment plan (details below)
- We accept most major insurance plans that cover IVF
- Talk with our Practice Manager regarding other payment options
Some insurance carriers are covering IVF. Our office can assist
you in determining your coverage and arranging pre authorization
if needed. This will allow direct billing of your IVF expenses
to your insurance carrier. This must be done before treatment
can be scheduled. The total billed to insurance will be more
than the quoted package price above because of the high cost
of billing. Be aware that if your insurance carrier does not
participate with RMSCVA, you will be responsible for the portion
of the fee that they don't cover.
The average cost of medications is $2,500, but can vary by
about $1,000 (so usual range is from $1,500 to $3,500). The
amount needed by each individual is different, and most often
influenced by age. Medications are generally ordered through
mail order pharmacies to obtain the best price. Payment for
medications is made directly to the pharmacy.
Jody Halloran is the Practice Administrator and can assist
with financial questions and planning for IVF. She can be
reached at (434)654-8520.
Many of the expenses incurred in this treatment may be tax deductible
and information is available in IRS Publication 17 - "Your
Federal Income Tax" and IRS Publication 502 "Medical
and Dental Expenses". Certain medical expenses may be deducted
if you itemize on Schedule A (Form 1040). Deductions which apply
to IVF are:
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Fees
for fertility enhancement (procedures such as in vitro
fertilization, including temporary storage of eggs and
sperm) |
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Fees
for doctors and surgeons (sonograms, egg retrieval, anesthesia) |
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Fees
for hospital services, laboratory, surgical, obstetrical,
nursing and x-ray services (blood tests, sperm evaluation) |
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Cost of transportation for needed medical care (air fare,
mileage -22 cents/mile for 2006- or out of pocket expenses
-cost of gas, oil- not including general maintenance expenses) |
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Medical
and hospital insurance premiums |
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Prescribed
medicine (all IVF drugs) |
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Lodging
necessary for medical treatment ($50/night per person
- limited to two people - the person receiving treatment
and a companion) |
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