How to Finance Infertility Treatment

In addition to the heavy emotional toll that infertility takes on a couple, there is a huge financial burden when seeking treatment. Many insurance plans do not cover diagnoses or treatments for infertile couples, and the costs of infertility treatments can be staggering. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to finance your dream of having a biological child.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Check your insurance policies. Find out what is covered, if there are lifetime maximums and what your deductibles and co-pays will be if there is coverage. Some companies will cover diagnosis but not infertility treatment.
2. Create a budget for infertility. As soon as you suspect you might have trouble conceiving, start saving in a separate account designated for financing infertility treatments.
3. Join a clinical trial or research study. These are experimental procedures which researchers are trying to help infertile couples conceive. The treatment and monitoring you will receive as member of an infertility clinical trial is usually free or inexpensive. Some clinics will even pay you to participate. RESOLVE, the national infertility association, maintains listings of clinical trials on their websites.
4. Apply for an INCIID IVF Scholarship. The InterNational Council for Infertility Information Dissemination (INCIIDD) has scholarships available to couples with financial and medical needs. The program is called "From INCIID The Heart." You can learn more about it and download an application form from their website.
5. Consider moving. Only fourteen states in the U.S. have laws requiring insurance companies to cover the costs of infertility treatment. Those states include Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and West Virginia.
6. Take out a specialized infertility treatment loan. Several financial institutions offer loan programs specifically for the costs of infertility treatments. Two programs offer a guarantee and refund program. The ARC Fertility Program and the IntegraMed America Fertility Network both offer loan programs that allow partial to full refunds if they are not successful in helping you to conceive.
7. Buy your infertility medicine online. Online pharmacies often have special agreements with the pharmaceutical companies so they can pass those savings on to their customers. You still have to pay for the procedures and medical care at normal prices, but the costs of the medicine are a huge portion of the treatment. Saving here will reduce your overall financing.
8. Contact the pharmaceutical companies and see if you are eligible for programs that allow you to get the necessary drugs free or at a reduced cost. These programs are usually based on financial need.
9. Travel to Europe for IVF. If your doctors say that in vitro fertilization is your best option for conceiving, consider traveling to another country where the costs are much lower. My IVF Alternative and IVF Vacations offer packages that include your IVF treatment and travel and housing costs.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that time is of the essence when it comes to fertility. If you are in your mid-thirties or later, you need to figure out how you are going to finance infertility treatments as soon as possible so that you can be prepared for any financial waves that come your way.