We have offered money back guarantee IVF pricing options since 1997. Over the years, many couples have asked for a plan that also includes the cost of the expensive medications that are required with IVF. We have not been willing to do this in the past because it would require us to buy the medications from a pharmacy - adding significant financial risk for us. Some women would have good ovarian stimulation with low doses of medications, while others require much higher doses to get an adequate response from the ovaries. This means that the approximate range for medication costs for one IVF cycle is $2000-5000, and for 3 cycles about $6000-15,000. Any frozen embryo transfer cycles would add about $400-800 per cycle to this total medication cost.

We now are offering a new money back refund plan for in vitro fertilization that includes all medications for those couples that qualify. We are not aware of any other US IVF clinics offering a money back refund plan including all medications for a fixed cost. The cost of this plan is substantially higher for the couple. However, our fertility clinic is taking on additional financial risk by covering the medications. We are confident that our high IVF success rates allow us to offer such a plan. In order to limit our risk, the criteria needed to qualify are somewhat more restrictive than for our money back guarantee plans that do not include any medications. See the details below.

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. The financial risk is shared between the couple and the clinic.

The program includes as many as 3 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 could result in leftover embryos for freezing for later use. There could be one, or more than one frozen embryo transfer cycle. 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 covering IVF services.

Program Eligibility (using own eggs) *

To qualify for our risk-sharing program including all medications, 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 36 years of age or younger at the time of enrollment. For women at the higher end of the allowed age range - all IVF procedures 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 by our criteria
• Ultrasound (cost is $175) must show at least 18 antral follicles (total count) on ovaries accessible for egg retrieval. This is more restrictive than our shared risk plan not including meds which requires a minimum total of 14 antrals.

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 must be at least 8.0 mm thick (cost is $175).
• 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 any previous IVF attempts (including cancelled stimulation attempts) are not eligible. This is more restrictive than our shared risk plan not including meds which allows some previous IVF failures.
• Couples with 2 or more previous miscarriages are not eligible. This is more restrictive than our shared risk plan not including meds which allows up to 2 previous miscarriages.

• The male partner must have a minimum of 100,000 motile sperm in his ejaculate (over 99% of men have enough sperm)

• 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 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. If the cycle is cancelled during stimulation and before the aspiration, the refund is for all but $500 (cycle management fee) plus $65/blood assay and $175/ultrasound. 

More about our cycle cancellation policies

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, there must be a minimum of 18 total antral follicles in order to qualify for our shared risk IVF plan including medications.

Program Terms

The Program fee consists of a non-refundable and a refundable portion. If, after up to 3 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 decide about 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.
 

Included services in our IVF risk-sharing program with medications included:

• Egg retrieval
• Fertilization
• ICSI if needed
• Assisted hatching if indicated
• Embryo transfer
• All IVF medications through the day of the pregnancy test
• Embryo cryopreservation (freezing) and storage of frozen embryos for up to 12 months

Excluded services:

• Prescreening tests
• 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 full refundable portion 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 full refundable portion will be returned to the couple as long as all frozen embryos have been transferred to the female partner's uterus.