When a couple is ready to go through an In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment, the fertility clinic normally provides the couple with an estimate for the cost of IVF. The estimate details what the patient will pay for up front and what services may be charged in addition during the course of the IVF treatment. The fertility clinic's estimate is normally presented in the form of a financial contract, which the couple is required to sign prior to starting their IVF cycle. Most people are nervous about signing any financial contracts that obligate them to paying money, and the IVF financial contracts are no exception. People are right to be worried about signing them because the fertility clinics design these contracts so as to maximize the amount of money they may charge a patient for their services.
In a conventional In Vitro Fertilization treatment, the female takes medications that stimulate her egg production. Before her IVF begins, her fertility doctor places an order for the medications. The doctor bases the dosage he orders on the results of the diagnostic tests and how much medication the patient will require to stimulate her eggs. Frequently, the patient does not respond adequately to the current dosage of medications and the doctor will then increase her dosage. This increase in the quantity of medications is a frequently unanticipated cost of IVF.
The development of ovarian cysts is an undesirable side effect of the stimulation medications. In most cases the cysts are small and will diminish over time without medical assistance. But, if the cysts grow too large, the fertility doctor will want to drain them. This procedure is called a cyst aspiration. If the patient's medical insurance does not cover the cyst aspiration, she will be responsible for the fee. Because the cyst aspiration procedure is hardly ever included in the typical IVF fees, the $1,400 average fee for the cyst aspiration will be billed to the patient on top of the cost of IVF.
Occasionally the patient's eggs do not respond adequately to the stimulation medications. If this occurs, the Reproductive Endocrinologist may cancel the IVF cycle and start again the following month. By canceling the IVF cycle, the doctor is preventing the patient from wasting the expensive fertility medications so she can use them the next month. Typically, the signed financial contract will state that the patient will be responsible for the monitoring services she incurred prior to the cancellation in addition to the cost of IVF.
When a couple first discusses the estimated cost of IVF with the fertility clinic, they are normally told that unforeseen circumstances may result in additional fees. They are also told that, in order to proceed with the In Vitro Fertilization cycle, they must agree to and sign the financial contract that obligates them to pay for the services that happen as a result of those unforeseen circumstances. Because the fertility clinic frequently glosses over the "fine print" that is all of the potential additional fees they may charge, a smart couple will know ahead of time exactly what they may be signing up for when they sign the IVF financial contract.
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