Financing Your Fertility
How Much Does IVF Cost?
Over the last forty years in the United States, healthcare spending by individuals has increased 30-fold, from around $350 per person in 1970 to well over $10,000 per person in 2017[1]. With these costs showing no sign of slowing their growth, it’s more important now than ever before to have honest conversations with healthcare providers about your unique medical needs. Many patients beginning their infertility treatment ask, “How much does IVF cost?”
Over the last forty years in the United States, healthcare spending by individuals has increased 30-fold, from around $350 per person in 1970 to well over $12,000 per person in 2021[1][2]. With these costs showing no sign of slowing their growth, it’s more important now than ever to have honest conversations with healthcare providers about your unique medical needs. Many patients beginning their infertility treatment ask, “How much does IVF cost?”
Historically, the high cost of infertility treatments has been the most significant obstacle to getting the necessary care to start a family. According to Forbes, couples seeking in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in 2023 paid between $15,000 and $30,000. Costs are increasing across the board, and hopeful parents are left scrambling to figure out what their insurance will cover and how they’ll be able to afford the remaining out-of-pocket costs.
We’re changing that. Fertility Centers of New England believes that straightforward conversations about infertility treatment prices are crucial as healthcare costs rise across the board in the United States. Our centers offer IVF treatments starting at $13,000, which is among the most competitive pricing in New England.
Couples and individuals looking to start infertility treatments such as IVF should be fully prepared and understand exactly where the costs of care come from. Let’s dig in.
Understanding What Your Health Insurance Covers
It’s essential to first understand what your insurance will cover when you seek IVF treatment. Twenty-one states in the U.S. have laws mandating that insurance companies cover infertility treatment. However, these laws vary state by state, and not everyone living within those states qualifies for coverage. Here’s what you can expect if you live in New England:
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- Massachusetts – Requires general insurance policies, non-profit hospital service corporations, medical service corporations, and health maintenance organizations that provide pregnancy-related benefits to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, including IVF.[3]
- New Hampshire – As of January 1, 2020, it requires employer-sponsored plans to cover infertility care as well as the storage of sperm, eggs, and embryos. Group plans are also required to cover fertility preservation for patients who need medically necessary treatment that may cause iatrogenic infertility.[4] Learn more about this update here.
- Maine – As of January 1, 2024, requires carriers offering health plans in the state to include coverage for fertility preservation services, fertility treatment, and fertility diagnostic care.[4] Learn more about this update here.
- Vermont – No mandated infertility coverage.[5]
- Rhode Island – Requires a plan or policy of health insurance to provide coverage for medically necessary expenses for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. Co-payments for infertility services cannot exceed 20 percent.[3]
- Connecticut – Requires health insurance organizations to provide coverage for medically necessary expenses in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, including IVF. However, this was amended to give an exemption to coverage that is contrary to the religious beliefs of an employer or an individual.[3]
It’s worth noting that the federal Affordable Care Act legislation does not address fertility coverage, so there’s no guarantee that these state laws will be continued in the future. To learn more about your state’s fertility coverage policy, visit the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Patients without fertility coverage in their insurance plan fall into the “self-pay” market: they must pay the costs for infertility care entirely by themselves. The expenses (which we detail below) can add up quickly and cause many hopeful parents to shy away from seeking infertility treatment.
However, we can help! Fertility Centers of New England offers many financial assistance programs to help meet your needs and discover the most cost-effective way to start building your family.
How Much Does IVF Cost?
Fertility Centers of New England offers the most competitive prices for IVF in New England, starting at $13,000 per cycle. See terms and eligibility here.
We offer affordable initial consultations with our fertility doctors for any patients without health insurance. These are just a few ways we strive to make starting a family accessible to everyone.
Our IVF cycle cost includes the following:
How to Get the Best Care For Your Money
While it would be convenient for the patient for a fertility center’s higher prices to correlate with higher success rates, in reality, there is no connection between cost and success across the nation’s fertility centers. You can rest assured that you will receive the highest-quality care for your dollar at Fertility Centers of New England. Our team of reproductive endocrinologists and infertility specialists focuses on the individual needs of each patient. Our success rates are a testament to our care.
A popular concept has recently emerged as a way for aspiring parents to choose a fertility clinic. The concept is a “pay for performance” platform, which many insurance companies have embraced as the go-to method for determining that patients are getting the best care for their money.
Therefore, insurers have established Centers of Excellence around the country, which, according to their data, give patients the best chance at having a successful single-infant pregnancy at the best price. Fertility Centers of New England has been named a Center of Excellence by both United Healthcare and Aetna for those requiring IVF treatment.
Determining How Much Fertility Treatment Will Cost You
Whether or not you have fertility coverage with your insurance plan, treatment will likely incur a steep price. It is impossible to put a price on having a child, but patients should still consider and discuss the expense before jumping in. It is important to find the best value for your money, and we can help you discover the best and most cost-effective way to start building your family.
Physicians should not be afraid to discuss either their success rates or the costs of their fertility treatments. Not doing so is unfair to patients who are seeking treatment and want to understand their options. At Fertility Centers of New England, we strive towards a standard of total patient-and-practice transparency. This is one of many reasons why our center has received accolades annually from the Better Business Bureau and why we have so many positive testimonials from families we’ve helped.
Wherever you go for your treatment, make sure to ask, “What are our chances of having a child under your care?” as well as “How much does fertility treatment cost?”
Have More Questions?
Understanding what your options are is the best first step when undergoing infertility treatment. If you are looking for more information on how much IVF costs or what infertility treatment option is best for you, please contact us for an initial consultation. We are here to help.
This post was originally published on June 30, 2015, and updated on December 29, 2023.
[1] Cox, C.; Kamal, R. (2018, December 10). How Has U.S. Spending On Healthcare Changed Over Time? Retrieved 19 November, 2019 from https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/u-s-spending-healthcare-changed-time/#item-start
[2] National Health Expenditure Data from https://www.cms.gov/data-research/statistics-trends-and-reports/national-health-expenditure-data/historical#:~:text=U.S.%20health%20care%20spending%20grew,For%20additional%20information%2C%20see%20below.
[3] (2019, June 12). State Laws Related to Insurance Coverage for Infertility Treatment. Retrieved November 18, 2019 from http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/insurance-coverage-for-infertility-laws.aspx
[4] (2019, August 2). New Hampshire Expands Fertility Coverage to Employer-Sponsored Health Plans. Retrieved December 5, 2019 from https://www.asrm.org/news-and-publications/news-and-research/press-releases-and-bulletins/new-hampshire-expands-fertility-coverage-to-employer-sponsored-health-plans/
[5] A Report to the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance, and Financial Services 131st Maine Legislature from https://legislature.maine.gov/doc/9670#:~:text=1539%2C%20%E2%80%9CAn%20Act%20To%20Provide,and%20for%20fertility%20preservation%20services.
