7.1 percent. That’s the percentage of the US population that has to cope with infertility. That means more people are affected by this dilemma than the entire populations of New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston combined. Even though there are treatments that can be successful 20 to 60 percent of the time, any type of fertility treatment costs more than many couples can afford.
There are a lot of reasons that couples can’t conceive and finding the reasons for that inability takes time and money. The earlier you begin your process, the higher chance you have for success is the best advice for hopeful parents. Diagnosing the issue that is preventing couples from conceiving is the first step. Find a doctor and get the tests needed that will start eliminating causes. The cost per test range from $400 to $1,500 per test. And depending on the tests, drug treatments and personnel involved, those costs can increase exponentially. If the first tests and treatments are unsuccessful, those costs are small compared to what comes next. Determining which treatment to try next can get very expensive. Unfortunately, there are no treatments that offer a 100% success rate but there are treatments with higher rates than others. The treatments that can offer the highest chance of success under the worst circumstances are unfortunately the most expensive.
As a last resort before giving up completely, in vitro fertilization treatments can be tried. First, Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) mixes eggs and sperm together in a lab, and that is then surgically implanted into the womb. This particular treatment can cost anywhere between $8,000 to $15,000. Next, implanting a verified fertilized egg into the womb in a process called zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) can be tried. While this process may have the highest chance success rates, it will cost at minimum $10-20,000. And that doesn’t include the pregnancy itself.
Unfortunately, there are many factors and no amount of money can guarantee that treatments will be successful. It is entirely possible to spend well over $50,000 in a futile attempt to conceive a child and have absolutely no luck whatsoever. That’s one reason that finding assistance for funding is such a difficult prospect. Some states do require insurance companies to foot at least part of the bill for diagnosis and treatment of fertility issues, but there are only 13 states where that requirement exists. In some of the 13 states, there are loopholes that ensure the insurance companies will not have to cover any costs, even with the requirements.
However, there are so many programs available to help. Many fertility treatment centers do have financial counselors that will help with attaining a low interest loan, connections to public and privately funded assistance, and some insurance companies are sensitive enough to help with drug costs and other funding issues. As long as there is hope, there is almost always a way to find funds for it. Remember, even though fertility treatment cost may run into the tens of thousands of dollars, the life of that baby is priceless.
Andi Beark, mother of 2, has been interested on the impact of infertility after it touched the life of a friend. Finding ways to help couples cope with fertility treatment costs has become a passion. Connecting couples with fertility treatment centers that understand and are willing to help couples conceive gives her no greater pleasure.