There are a variety of IVF protocols, which are appropriate for different situations, and IVF costs vary considerably worldwide. In most countries, IVF is paid for by patients or their health insurance, and while health insurance cover varies, it usually includes diagnosis but not treatment costs. The average cost for an IVF cycle in the US is about $12,500 (plus medication). There is a wide range of pricing structures and packages on offer, so please include ALL the costs if you’re thinking of IVF.
Price doesn’t always reflect expertise, the quality of care or indicate outcomes, and success rates differ markedly between clinics, which can reflect different treatments and approaches. When clinics screen patients, expect their success rates to be high and costs lower. Clinics that specialise in difficult cases (older couples, low ovarian reserve or immune conditions) may have lower success rates, but the chances of success may well be higher for the individual. Age has a significant impact on IVF success rates, and the 2016 UK clinic success rates by age were: [i]
| Age | Success Rates |
|---|---|
| Under 35 | 29% |
| 35-37 | 23% |
| 38-39 | 15% |
| 40-42 | 9% |
| 43-44 | 3% |
| Over 44 | 2% |
A rough guide to initial investigation costs in the USA:
| Tests | Description | Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Blood tests | FSH, LH, estradiol (one of the estrogens), progesterone and testosterone, while AMH will indicate ovarian reserve | $65 each |
| Ultrasound | To check the structure of the ovaries, tubes and uterus and the number of developing antral follicles | $150-200 |
| Semen analysis | $50+ | |
| Infectious-disease screening | $100-220 per partner | |
| Structural analysis | hysterosonogram (HSG) or Hysterosalpingo-contrast-sonography (HyCoSy) | $600–1,000 |
A rough guide to treatment costs in the USA:
| Treatment | Costs |
|---|---|
| IUI (Intra-uterine Insemination) | $200–900 for each procedure |
| Clomiphene citrate (Clomid) | $200–500 a cycle |
| IVF cycle | $10,000-30,000 |
| ICSI cycle | $1,200–2,000 on top of IVF |
| Frozen embryo transfer | $2,000 – $3,500 |
| Medication | The average cycle is about $3000, but can reach $7000 per cycle for “poor responders” and obese women. The unit price of medications, dosages and length of stimulation all affect cost. |
Alternative costings
The expected cost of pregnancy
- If a Clomid treatment has an 8% chance of achieving a pregnancy and costs $500, then 12 medicated cycles for pregnancy is about $6,000
- IVF cycles have about a 30% chance of pregnancy, then three cycles for pregnancy is $45,000
What people actually pay (based on a 2011 study of 8 clinics over 18 months of treatment) ii
- The average IVF cost was $24,373
- The use of donor eggs increased costs to $38,015
- The cost of pregnancy or delivery within 18 months with IVF was $61,377
- There were no significant differences in spending between successful and unsuccessful outcomes
IVF is unavoidable for some couples to become parents, but the costs are high (66% of IVF cycles in 2010 used ICSI iii), and for couples with “unknown infertility”, it makes sense to improve natural fertility levels before embarking on expensive IVF journies. The expert opinion is to make lifestyle changes and try for two years, which is where the morefertile® PFPs come into their own, and if it doesn’t work, you’ll be in better shape to succeed with IVF.
i’ ‘Costs of infertility treatment: results from an 18-month prospective study’ P. Katz et al. Fertility and Sterility, Volume 95, Issue 3, 1 March 2011, Pages 915–921
iii SART Clinic Summary Report
