Selecting an IVF Program

Selecting a medical practice for fertility treatment can often be a confusing and emotionally draining experience for couples faced with infertility. The choice you make will profoundly affect your future. Therefore, it is very important that you ask the right questions about several key issues, such as: success rates, costs, types of procedures performed, and insurance participation. Understanding these issues before you initiate treatment will save you an enormous amount of time, energy, frustration, and money, not to mention increasing your chances of achieving a successful pregnancy.

Common Questions 

• Is it possible to evaluate clinics objectively?
• How do I evaluate clinics on their current statistics?
• How important are the statistics?
• How much does IVF really cost?
• Do the physicians participate with my insurance company?
• Are there any discounts for self-pay patients or multiple IVF cycles?
• Are there any printed materials to help me understand these issues more fully?

Q Is it possible to evaluate clinics objectively?
A Granted, it is difficult to interpret all of the various statistics quoted by fertility programs because of a lack of a standard report. However, there is a mechanism in place to help understand statistics associated with IVF, GIFT, and other assisted reproductive technologies. They report their annual statistics to the Society for Reproductive Medicine (SART). These reports are submitted in a standardized format. This report is comprehensive and provides valuable information about a program including: number of cycles, pregnancy rates by age, with or without male factor, miscarriage rates, average patient age, among other things. An analysis of this data will reveal trends or patterns that will provide insight as to the quality, stability, and experience of the programs being considered, especially if evaluated over time. The Center for Disease Control(CDC) publishes this data in an easy to use format.

Q How do I evaluate clinics on their current statistics?
A As for current statistics being quoted by programs, it is reasonable and recommended that patients request documentation on the statistics being discussed as well as a breakdown by age and diagnosis. Since the inception of our IVF program in 1991, Shady Grove Fertility Centers have remained committed to providing to the public, a comprehensive statistical analysis of all assisted reproductive technologies performed in our center and their outcomes. This information is updated quarterly and is available in our patient packets upon request. In an effort to keep physicians informed, we regularly publish a referring physician brochure. We strongly encourage anyone considering advanced fertility treatments to obtain the same comprehensive information from each program they are considering.

Q How important are the statistics?*
A
A. Outcome of 100 couples in our program with a 45% delivery rate**

Cycle #1 100 couples 45 deliveries
Cycle #2 55 couples 24 deliveries
Cycle #3 31 couples 14 deliveries
Cycle #4 17 couples 7 deliveries

Deliveries - 90 No Pregnancy - 10

B. Outcome of 100 couples in a program with 25% delivery rate**
Cycle#1 100 couples 25 deliveries
Cycle#2 75 couples 19 deliveries
Cycle#3 56 couples 14 deliveries
Cycle#4 42 couples 10 deliveries

Deliveries - 68 No Pregnancy - 32
** in patient's under 40 years of age.

Q How much does IVF really cost?
A The costs for infertility treatments will vary widely among programs. The best way to assess your ultimate cost is to ask each program for a copy of their fee schedule. It is important to determine if there are any additional fees not included in the fee schedule such as hospital charges, drug costs, and testing. The cost for one IVF cycle is approximately $10,000 plus the cost of medications in the Washington, D.C. area. The cost of the medications are a significant portion of the IVF cycle and can vary, especially if the drugs are sold by the fertility program. It is recommended that couples shop around for the best prices. Ask the Center for a list of pharmacies who keep the products in stock and price it fairly. While cost is important, outcome is more important. A good formula to use is cost vs. take home baby rate for the recommended procedure.

Q Do the physicians participate with my insurance company?
A Often times insurance companies provide little, limited, or no coverage for fertility treatments, especially the assisted reproductive technologies. Therefore, the single most important question to ask is: What benefits do I have for infertility? Don't assume that because the fertility center participates with your insurance plan that you have coverage. Most insurance companies have hundreds of plans to offer employers, each with different benefits. Patients should investigate their coverage before making a decision to go to a physician or center based solely on insurance participation. Many centers offer the service of investigating insurance benefits for you or you can check with the human resources department where you work. This is important to keep in mind when your employer offers a choice of health care plans during open season in December.

Q Are there any discounts for self-pay patients or multiple IVF cycles?
A For qualifying self-pay patients, Shady Grove Fertility Centers offers a IVF 100% Refund Plan. This program allows six attempts of IVF for a flat fee of $20,000 plus the cost of medications. When the couple delivers a baby, the Center earns the fee. If the couple is unsuccessful, 100% of the fee is refunded. Our confidence in our pregnancy rates allows us to share the risk with patients by limiting the cost associated with multiple attempts at IVF. This program preserves the couple's funds for other family building options if a successful pregnancy is not achieved through IVF. ICSI and Donor Egg recipients are eligible for this program at slightly higher fees.

Q Are there any printed materials to help me understand these issues more fully?
A Shady Grove Fertility Centers physicians and staff are dedicated to making a difficult circumstance a little easier for couples requiring advanced fertility treatments. By providing resources and assistance for the patient's emotional and financial needs in addition to quality medical care, we hope to alleviate some of the natural stresses that accompany fertility therapy.

To request more information about our Centers, the financial programs, please call at (301) 340-1188.  

IVF Success Rates

Natural Cycle IVF