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.
Commonly Asked Questions
1. Is it possible to evaluate clinics objectively?
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.
2. How do I evaluate clinics on their current statistics?
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.
3. How important are the statistics?*
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.
4. How much does IVF really cost?
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.
5. Do the physicians participate with my insurance company?
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.
6. Are there any discounts for self-pay patients or multiple IVF cycles?
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.
7. Are there any printed materials to help me understand these issues more fully?
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.
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