Infertility is surprisingly common, with 1 in 8 couples of reproductive age needing medical assistance to conceive. What may not be surprising is the cost of infertility treatment was listed as the ‘biggest hurdle’ to seeking help from a fertility specialist. SGF offers an alternative — a program that recently enrolled its 25,000th participant.
Rockville, MD – More than 25,000 patients have enrolled in Shady Grove Fertility’s (SGF) exclusive Shared Risk 100% Refund Program to fulfill their dreams of having a baby. The program was created in 1993 for patients who do not have or chose to waive their insurance coverage but want to pursue in vitro fertilization (IVF) to grow their families.
“A few months after we started the practice, I saw a patient who had a failed IVF cycle at another practice and wanted to try a new cycle with SGF to grow her family,” recalls Michael Levy, M.D., co-founder of SGF. “She was worried that if a second IVF cycle didn’t work, she would no longer have the funds to afford her backup plan, which was adoption. That stimulated significant concern at SGF — patients should not be burdened with such a tough choice.”
That is when the idea of the Shared Risk 100% Refund Program was born. SGF created the program to so that cost did not become the barrier to seeking help from a fertility specialist.
This program provides patients with the opportunity to pay a flat fee for up to six IVF or donor egg retrievals and any subsequent frozen embryo transfers. In the event the patient does not take home a baby, SGF provides a full refund. * As a result of the program’s popularity paired with the improving IVF success rates, in 2018, the situation opened an unusual opportunity for SGF to reduce the cost of the program for woman under the age of 35 to the same price that it was in 1993. Additionally, SGF extended the age in which a woman is eligible to participate and use her own eggs by 2 years to 41 years of age.
“Patients enthusiastically participate in this program for the security of knowing they have multiple opportunities to take home a baby while protecting themselves against the financial concern regarding multiple cycles, particularly if they do not have a successful outcome,” shares Dr. Levy. “If treatments prove unsuccessful or the patient chooses to withdraw, we issue the patients a full refund so that they have the choice to pursue other options.”
Shady Grove Fertility is among leading IVF practices in the country
SGF was the first fertility practice in the country to create a shared risk program. Since, SGF performed more than 60,000 IVF cycles in its first 25 years of practice with 25% of those cycles attributed to Shared Risk Program participants. The program’s success rates are comparable to the results of all IVF and donor egg cycles:
- More than 82% of participants who use their own eggs take home a baby.
- More than 85% of participants who use donor eggs take home a baby.
In many cases, patients who do not have pre-existing conditions or urgent diagnoses start with ‘low-tech’ fertility treatments. In fact, approximately 50% of all treatment cycles at SGF are considered low tech. However, data shows that after three to four low-tech cycles, success rates begin to sharply decline. By moving to IVF treatment, a patient significantly increases their chances of success.
What patients are saying about SGF’s Shared Risk Program
“Before we found SGF, I remember having to answer the tough questions when it came to paying for fertility treatment, ‘well, how badly do you want a baby?’ and ‘is the risk of it not working worth your savings, the debt, and the sacrifice?’ My head was still reeling from the reality that we were unable to get pregnant on our own, but then to face the fact we’d have to pay a ton just for the chance to try? I felt defeated from the start. I don’t want to sound cliché, but when we learned about SGF’s Shared Risk Program, my hope was restored. I no longer had to grapple with the ‘what ifs’ and weigh what seemed practical in my head against my heart’s greatest desire, to be a Mom,” shared an SGF Shared Risk participant.
“For us, Shared Risk was just the lifeline we needed. We had exhausted our other options at other centers and always came up short on cash and with no baby. This amazing program gave us the peace of mind that we needed — knowing a practice had a vested interest in our pregnancy outcome was incredibly reassuring to us. And now, we’re finally going to be parents,” shared a second SGF Shared Risk participant.
To schedule a video new patient appointment with an SGF physician or to learn more about SGF’s 100% refund options, call the SGF New Patient Center at 888-761-1967 or complete this brief online form.
(*Some exclusions may apply, please talk with an SGF Financial Counselor to learn more.)
About Shady Grove Fertility (SGF)
SGF is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence with more than 85,000 babies born and 5,000+ 5-star patient reviews. With 37 locations throughout FL, GA, MD, NY, PA, VA, D.C., and Santiago, Chile, offer patients virtual physician consults, deliver individualized care, accept most insurance plans, and make treatment affordable through innovative financial options, including 100% refund guarantees. More physicians refer their patients to SGF than any other center. Call 1-888-761-1967 or visit ShadyGroveFertility.com.
