IVF Cost Plan with Risk Sharing
IVF with money back if it doesn't work

Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
In Vitro Fertilization Specialist Clinic
Gurnee & Crystal Lake, Illinois

We have offered a "100% guarantee" pricing option for IVF (for eligible couples) since 1997 - and we still offer it today. Very few clinics offer a 100% guarantee pricing option. More recently, another type of in vitro fertilization pricing been offered by some clinics - a partial money back guarantee. These IVF pricing plans have been given various names, including "shared risk" IVF pricing, IVF cost warranty program, IVF cost protection plan, IVF refund plan, etc. The refundable portion of the program fee varies between centers that offer it. Most centers that offer a risk sharing plan allow a maximum of 3 attempts using fresh embryos. Our program gives the couple the option to choose between plans that cover up to 3 or up to 4 cycles with fresh embryos.

This arrangement allows the couple to get most of their money back if the cycle fails, and allows the clinic to recover some of the costs involved in performing the treatment cycles. This type of IVF pricing plan differs from a 100% guarantee in 2 very important ways:

1. The fee for a successful cycle is considerably less
   
2. There is not a 100% refund if the treatment does not result in a live birth

It might be considered an ideal payment option for those couples who are considering in vitro fertilization but are concerned that if they are not successful, they will not be financially able to pursue adoption. This same logic applies to our 100% money back guarantee program - but since the cost for a successful cycle is significantly higher with the 100% guarantee, many couples prefer the risk-sharing option.

It is important to understand that we can never guarantee a successful outcome. However, this plan limits the financial risk for the infertile couple if a live birth is not achieved. We give you your money back if the IVF doesn't work. In other words, the financial risk is shared between the couple and the clinic.

The program includes as many as (three or) four ovarian stimulation cycles leading to an egg retrieval and any associated frozen embryo transfer cycles. The program must be completed within a maximum of 18 months. Each ovarian stimulation and fresh embryo transfer cycle can possibly result in leftover embryos for freezing for later use. There could be one, and sometimes more than one frozen embryo transfer cycles. The program is considered successful if it results in the birth of a live infant.

This payment option can not be used with health insurance paying for the in vitro fertilization services.

Program Eligibility (using own eggs) *

To qualify for our risk-sharing program, a couple needs to meet all the requirements of our regular fee for service IVF program. In addition, if the female partner is using her own eggs, she must be 38 years of age or younger at the time of enrollment and have sufficient ovarian reserve (see below). For women at the higher end of the allowed age range - all IVF cycles using fresh embryos must be completed before she is 3 months past her 39th birthday.

Tests needed to qualify:

1. Normal ovarian reserve testing: Tests are done in one of our offices on day 2, 3 or 4 of the menstrual cycle:
   • FSH, LH and estradiol blood tests (cost is $195) must be normal
     
   • Ultrasound (cost is $200) must show at least 14 antral follicles on an ovary (or ovaries) accessible for egg retrieval
2. Evaluation of uterus to investigate whether it appears normal enough to initiate and sustain a pregnancy: The tests are usually done at one visit to the office on about day 13-14 of the menstrual cycle:
   • Ultrasound evaluation of the uterus and it's lining - the uterine lining (endometrium) must be at least 8.0 mm thick (cost is $200).
     
   • Office hysteroscopy to thoroughly evaluate the cavity of the uterus (cost is $425)

Other qualifying issues:

• The female partner must be a non-smoker in order to be eligible for the guarantee. We will accept a smoker if she quits entirely by 30 days prior to starting ovarian stimulating medications. This will be documented with urine and/or blood tests.
  
• Women that are significantly overweight (Body Mass Index over 30.0) are not eligible
  
• Women that have ever had an abnormal day 3 FSH test are not eligible
  
• Women with a hydrosalpinx are not eligible. However, they can have the hydrosalpinx surgically removed and then could qualify.
  
• Couples that have failed 3 (or more) previous IVF attempts with fresh embryos (including cancelled stimulation attempts) are not eligible.
  
• If IVF has been attempted previously, copies of all ovarian stimulation and all embryology records must be submitted to us for review.
  
• Couples with 2 or more previous miscarriages are not eligible.
• The male partner must have a minimum of 100,000 motile sperm in his ejaculate
  
• The couple must be willing to have ICSI, transfer 2 embryos, and cryopreserve (freeze) any leftover potentially viable embryos (frozen embryos will always be used before another fresh attempt is considered).

*We reserve the right to approve or deny entry into our Shared Risk IVF Plan program on a case by case basis

Cycle cancellation during stimulation

The response of your ovaries to the stimulation must be sufficient enough to result in a minimum of 3 mature follicles (15-20 mm diameter on HCG day) or the cycle will be cancelled. The estradiol level should also be at least 600 pg/ml. If there are at least 2 follicles of 15-20 mm and at least 2 more between 13-15 mm, we would consider proceeding with egg retrieval.

Very rarely, cycles can be cancelled for over-responding ovaries as well. Our criteria for cancellation of IVF cycles are identical for guaranteed and non-guaranteed cycles.

The ovarian response to stimulation is fairly predictable in advance by counting the number of antral follicles that are visible on ultrasound in an unstimulated state. Therefore, we need to see a minimum of 14 antral follicles in all women that are undergoing IVF with risk-sharing.

Read more about our cycle cancellation policies

If the cycle is cancelled during stimulation and before the aspiration, the rebate is for all but $500 (cycle management fee) plus $65/blood assay and $200/ultrasound.

Program Terms

The Program fee consists of a non-refundable and a refundable portion. If, after up to 3 or 4 completed IVF cycles no live birth has resulted (and all available embryos have been transferred), the refundable portion will be returned to the couple. After each completed IVF cycle, the couple and physician can determine together the appropriateness of proceeding with a repeat attempt. In other words, both our clinic and the couple retain the right to terminate the risk-sharing program at any time, for any reason (after the transfer of available fresh and frozen embryos).

The program usually takes no longer than 9 months and must be completed within 18 months. As indicated earlier, each "IVF" cycle corresponds to an ovarian stimulation treatment followed by the surgical aspiration of the eggs, their fertilization in the embryology lab followed by the transfer of all fertilized eggs or embryos (if any). If pregnancy is not achieved, the couple can meet with the physician to discuss a "frozen" embryo transfer (if applicable), or a repeat IVF cycle (after all frozen embryos if any, have been transferred).

Included services in risk-sharing program:

• Egg retrieval
  
• Fertilization
  
• ICSI if needed
  
• Assisted hatching if indicated
  
• Embryo transfer
  
• Embryo cryopreservation (freezing) and storage of frozen embryos for up to 12 months

Excluded services:

• Prescreening tests
  
• Medications
  
• Consultations with the physician
  
• Pregnancy testing and pregnancy monitoring
  
• Embryo storage beyond the first 12 months
  
• Frozen embryo storage after you deliver a baby. We will begin charging a monthly storage fee beginning when you deliver the baby - or you can transfer those embryos to ReproTech for long term storage at lower fees.
  
• Any frozen embryo transfer cycles done with remaining embryos after the birth of a baby. These would be billed on a fee for service basis.

Program Termination

Almost all patients who do not achieve a viable pregnancy as a result of the initial IVF attempts will be recommended to proceed with continued attempts. The main reasons not to do so would include inadequate ovarian response, inadequate egg quantity and quality, or very poor embryo quality.

We reserve the right to terminate the patient's participation after each completed cycle (this is very rare). Likewise, the couple has the right to terminate its participation after each completed cycle (after all fresh and frozen embryos have been transferred).

• If our center terminates the couple's risk sharing plan early (before the completion of all 3 or 4 fresh IVF attempts), the refundable amount will be returned to the couple.
  
• Likewise, the couple is also free to quit the program before they complete all of their allotted fresh cycles. The refundable portion of the money will be returned to the couple as long as the female partner is not pregnant and all frozen embryos have been transferred to her uterus.

Medication Costs:

Medication costs are not included in any of the IVF pricing plans. Medication costs can be as low as $1000 for a cycle, but average about $3000 and can be higher than this (rarely as high as $5000). The cost depends on the particular medication chosen as well as the dose and duration of stimulation needed to get an optimal response from your ovaries. Insurance sometimes will cover the cost of the medications.

Other pricing options:

• Traditional fee for service IVF cost - "per single cycle" IVF pricing
• IVF pricing option with a 100% refund
• Shared Risk IVF Plan pricing option with donor eggs
• Egg donation pricing - traditional fee for service - "per single cycle"
  

If you do not live in our area, we have information about visiting from out of town for IVF as well as for motel accommodations that are convenient to our center.

Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago | Gurnee, IL (847) 662-1818 | Crystal Lake, IL (815) 356-1818

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