Trying to conceive and receiving a diagnosis of infertility can shatter your hopes and dreams. Try as you might to keep your outlook positive, the stark reality is that you must endure invasive treatment and this comes with scary financial implications.
So what is the scale of this issue?
- 1 in 5 couples in the US has difficulty conceiving (1 in 3, if the female partner is over 35)
- Only 25% of employer health insurance policies provide coverage for infertility treatment
- A 2014 study found that couples spent an average of $19,234 USD for IVF.
- Each subsequent IVF cycle then cost a further $6,955 USD, meaning that a 3 cycle IVF programme would cost around $33,000 USD
- Although contributions from insurance policies are helpful, the 2014 study found that couples with coverage only paid $2,152 USD LESS than couples who were uninsured.
One of the key issues of modern times in the United States is inequality. The gap between rich and poor has grown steadily since 1970. This has a racial dimension, the significant income difference between black Americans and white Americans has remained static. Poorer Hispanic Americans are falling even further behind.
The economic reasons why black and Hispanic Americans have less access to fertility treatment than their white counterparts are clear.
With these kinds of costs, many couples find themselves cutting into their savings, or putting off other goals like buying a home in order to get access to treatment. Others end up going into debt and then struggling to pay it off.
Options to pay payment for fertility treatment
- Many US fertility clinics offer payment programmes to help make IVF treatment more affordable
- Some also offer refund programmes, where customers pay a set fee of between $20,000 and $30,000 USD. The clinic will then refund part of the money if the customer does not get pregnant after 3 IVF cycles. The advantage here is that the sum of money required can be planned for well in advance, and the customer can be assured that they will not go over budget.
Some young millennial women anticipating potential issues take the decision to pay into hospital savings plans. By doing this over a number of years they can take advantage of IVF at later stage in life. It is a kind of insurance policy for them, and they won’t lose the money if they conceive naturally in the meantime.
So how is it done in other countries?
The universal healthcare system in many countries is a bonus for citizens in terms of assisting with the economic costs of fertility treatments.
For example, in the United Kingdom the National Health Service will cover 3 rounds of IVF for women under 40 who are struggling to conceive after two years or more of trying.
However, this provision comes with strict criteria and has been coined a postcode lottery, as funding is not available in all areas of the UK.
Costs for private treatment can also be lower in many countries, with the therapy area of fertility being a key driver of the modern phenomenon of fertility tourism.
It is clear that in the near future ways must be found to address the funding issues for ordinary couples with fertility problems. Otherwise socioeconomic status will soon be the determining factor of who can afford to become parents.
