IVF financing?

[azurely]

If you did IVF, did you have to pay for it all up front or were you able to finance it?

If you had infertility insurance coverage, how did that affect when/how you paid? i.e. if the procedure is $20k, insurance covers $16k, then can I still finance the remaining $4k?

If you financed, did you just go through your RE's office or did you check out other places (banks, no interest credit cards, etc)?

Sorry for all of the questions, but we are meeting with an RE next week and likely starting the IVF process soon. I am a little anxious about the financial side of things.  I don't want to drain our savings; I think I would prefer to finance it, even if we do end up paying interest.

I know all of our financial situations are different, but I'm just curious what others have done.

[lola]

I'm glad you asked this, because it's been on my mind big time lately.

[G22]

I don't have answer, but its been on my mind lately too. Thinking ahead in case IUI doesn't work...

[KaraOrNot]

We aren't moving on to IVF right now, but my RE's office requires full payment upfront. They don't offer financing options. We don't have any insurance coverage for treatment, so I am not sure how it works if insurance is paying for a part of it. We wanted to save enough (outside of our normal savings fund) to pay cash, but agreed that would be willing to put part of it on a low interest credit card. Just thinking about how expensive it is makes me want to cry.

[BNL2]

I'm interested in this too. DH and I have talked about taking a year off to save money for IVF because I'm only 30 and I feel we have time. But I really don't want to take such a long break. We've also talked about asking the ILs for a loan but it's kind of a last resort.

[discogranny]

We are 100% out of pocket. My RE's office has set pricing for IVF services, so we knew months ahead of time what our out of pocket would be. We had to make a 50% payment at the baseline ultrasound and a 50% payment at the appointment before retrieval. Meds were due upon ordering via credit card over the phone since they came from a third party specialty pharmacy.

We had some significant money set aside for treatment but needed a small loan to supplement that. We went to a local credit union and got a what is called a signature loan. Basically, as long as your credit is good enough, they will give you up to $25,000 for whatever you wanted. We took far less that that, but it was good to know the option for so much existed. I researched interest rates of medical financing companies like MedLoan, etc. and they were substantially higher than the 6% the credit union offered us. There were also some stories of weird terms online, which didn't sit well with me. We have four years to pay off the loan and just make a payment every month.

Lastly, this is so Debbie Downer, but if you decide to finance make sure you are emotionally able to deal with a monthly payment if IVF does not work for you. It's a bitter pill for me to swallow each month when I post that payment but we discussed it before hand and agreed it was worth the chance, even if it didn't work out.

[changedname]

My RE required 100% payment up front for the procedure on cd 3 of the ivf cycle start ($8000). They do not offer any kind of financing so I put it on my credit card. Meds are paid as you go. I have insurance for the meds but have to claim after I have paid for them but we are oop for the procedure.

[lola]

Mar 12, 2013 22:34:31 GMT -5 discogranny said:

Lastly, this is so Debbie Downer, but if you decide to finance make sure you are emotionally able to deal with a monthly payment if IVF does not work for you. It's a bitter pill for me to swallow each month when I post that payment but we discussed it before hand and agreed it was worth the chance, even if it didn't work out.

For me, this is the biggest issue I have when I think about IV expenses. I'm not in a place right now to be seriously worrying about it, but when I think about throwing $10K at something that has a 50/50 chance, I just want to vomit a little bit.

I was chatting with my sisters a few weeks ago about it, and they looked horrified at me. I think it's because if you said to them, "Would you give $10K to have {Their Kid's Name Here}?" they are like, "Of course! I'd give my everything, my life, for my kid!" It's different, though, when you're considering a hypothetical child that's not here, ykwim? I mean, hell, I'd give my sisters every last cent I have to my name if it meant keeping their children alive, and the thought of sinking $10K into IVF treatments that might not work is overwhelming to me. Two totally different things in my mind.



I hate even thinking about this.

[changedname]

Mar 13, 2013 11:13:10 GMT -5 lola said:

Mar 12, 2013 22:34:31 GMT -5 discogranny said:

Lastly, this is so Debbie Downer, but if you decide to finance make sure you are emotionally able to deal with a monthly payment if IVF does not work for you. It's a bitter pill for me to swallow each month when I post that payment but we discussed it before hand and agreed it was worth the chance, even if it didn't work out.

For me, this is the biggest issue I have when I think about IV expenses. I'm not in a place right now to be seriously worrying about it, but when I think about throwing $10K at something that has a 50/50 chance, I just want to vomit a little bit.

I was chatting with my sisters a few weeks ago about it, and they looked horrified at me. I think it's because if you said to them, "Would you give $10K to have {Their Kid's Name Here}?" they are like, "Of course! I'd give my everything, my life, for my kid!" It's different, though, when you're considering a hypothetical child that's not here, ykwim? I mean, hell, I'd give my sisters every last cent I have to my name if it meant keeping their children alive, and the thought of sinking $10K into IVF treatments that might not work is overwhelming to me. Two totally different things in my mind.



I hate even thinking about this.

I totally know what you mean lola. I can't believe we spent such a big chunk of our savings for a 50/50 chance. I feel like it should be 100% with what we have to go through.

[azurely]

Mar 13, 2013 11:13:10 GMT -5 lola said:

Mar 12, 2013 22:34:31 GMT -5 discogranny said:

Lastly, this is so Debbie Downer, but if you decide to finance make sure you are emotionally able to deal with a monthly payment if IVF does not work for you. It's a bitter pill for me to swallow each month when I post that payment but we discussed it before hand and agreed it was worth the chance, even if it didn't work out.

For me, this is the biggest issue I have when I think about IV expenses. I'm not in a place right now to be seriously worrying about it, but when I think about throwing $10K at something that has a 50/50 chance, I just want to vomit a little bit.

I was chatting with my sisters a few weeks ago about it, and they looked horrified at me. I think it's because if you said to them, "Would you give $10K to have {Their Kid's Name Here}?" they are like, "Of course! I'd give my everything, my life, for my kid!" It's different, though, when you're considering a hypothetical child that's not here, ykwim? I mean, hell, I'd give my sisters every last cent I have to my name if it meant keeping their children alive, and the thought of sinking $10K into IVF treatments that might not work is overwhelming to me. Two totally different things in my mind.



I hate even thinking about this.

Yes, this is exactly how I feel too. I'd pay it in a second if I knew we would get pg. But there are no guarantees and the thought of paying $10k for nothing makes me want to barf a little (a lot, actually).

Thanks for your response discogranny. I'm sorry things didn't work out like you hoped with IVF. This all sucks and is very unfair.

[BNL2]

Mar 13, 2013 11:13:10 GMT -5 lola said:

Mar 12, 2013 22:34:31 GMT -5 discogranny said:

Lastly, this is so Debbie Downer, but if you decide to finance make sure you are emotionally able to deal with a monthly payment if IVF does not work for you. It's a bitter pill for me to swallow each month when I post that payment but we discussed it before hand and agreed it was worth the chance, even if it didn't work out.

For me, this is the biggest issue I have when I think about IV expenses. I'm not in a place right now to be seriously worrying about it, but when I think about throwing $10K at something that has a 50/50 chance, I just want to vomit a little bit.

I was chatting with my sisters a few weeks ago about it, and they looked horrified at me. I think it's because if you said to them, "Would you give $10K to have {Their Kid's Name Here}?" they are like, "Of course! I'd give my everything, my life, for my kid!" It's different, though, when you're considering a hypothetical child that's not here, ykwim? I mean, hell, I'd give my sisters every last cent I have to my name if it meant keeping their children alive, and the thought of sinking $10K into IVF treatments that might not work is overwhelming to me. Two totally different things in my mind.



I hate even thinking about this.

This is my biggest fear about IVF too. We would have to sacrifice a lot to save up the money and the possibility of having nothing to show for it makes me want to cry.

[KaraOrNot]

Mar 13, 2013 11:13:10 GMT -5 lola said:

Mar 12, 2013 22:34:31 GMT -5 discogranny said:

Lastly, this is so Debbie Downer, but if you decide to finance make sure you are emotionally able to deal with a monthly payment if IVF does not work for you. It's a bitter pill for me to swallow each month when I post that payment but we discussed it before hand and agreed it was worth the chance, even if it didn't work out.

For me, this is the biggest issue I have when I think about IV expenses. I'm not in a place right now to be seriously worrying about it, but when I think about throwing $10K at something that has a 50/50 chance, I just want to vomit a little bit.

I was chatting with my sisters a few weeks ago about it, and they looked horrified at me. I think it's because if you said to them, "Would you give $10K to have {Their Kid's Name Here}?" they are like, "Of course! I'd give my everything, my life, for my kid!" It's different, though, when you're considering a hypothetical child that's not here, ykwim? I mean, hell, I'd give my sisters every last cent I have to my name if it meant keeping their children alive, and the thought of sinking $10K into IVF treatments that might not work is overwhelming to me. Two totally different things in my mind.



I hate even thinking about this.

I agree, it is totally different.  If there were any guarantees, I would have no issue dropping the money, but it is just a shot (I have read some things that said the success rate isn't even 50% - I can't remember the exact numbers for my clinic).  And our estimate was between $15 and $23k, for one freaking attempt.  

This is one of the most unfair parts of IF.  Getting pregnant should be free!  Not only do I have the monthly disappointment of not getting pregnant, but you are going to charge me 23k for a chance?

[lola]

Thanks ladies. It really makes me feel better to know I'm not alone in these thoughts.

[G22]

Mar 13, 2013 21:15:57 GMT -5 lola said:

Thanks ladies. It really makes me feel better to know I'm not alone in these thoughts.

Your definitely not alone!

[bronxgirl]

Of all the things I'm jealous of re: people who can get PG on their own, one of the biggest is that they can get PG FOR FREE. That seems like a mind blowing concept to me.

[discogranny]

I felt exactly like you ladies. In total our IVF was $16,500 including meds. When I type that out it gets me because there are so many other things we could have done with that amount of money. It would have paid for a year of college for a future child, paid off a car, etc.

I can say that even though we have nothing but two frozen embryos to show for it now, I would still do it again for the chance. DH and I are fully aware that even if a FET works for us, we will most likely need another full IVF for a sibling. $16,500 is a lot of money to gamble with, but for us it will be worth it to be secure in knowing we did absolutely everything we could to biologically conceive. Should the FET not work, we won't have the "what if" regrets of not having exhausted all efforts.

All of that being said, this is a really personal decision and I wish you all the best in making it.

[discogranny]

Mar 13, 2013 23:22:54 GMT -5 bronxgirl said:

Of all the things I'm jealous of re: people who can get PG on their own, one of the biggest is that they can get PG FOR FREE. That seems like a mind blowing concept to me.

Come on now Bronx, you know it isn't free. There's the $8.99 they spent on the wine when they "just got drunk one night." Don't forget the $500 spent when they "just went on vacation and had sex." Oh and there's the $100 spent on the massage that preceded the conception, which totally was worth it because they were able to "just relax."  

[Deleted]

It's very much a business, which perhaps, is one of the most disconcerting parts of the process. I remember reading through the financial brochure for the second clinic we went to, IVF is one fee, Meds are another, ICSI is an additional cost, PGD is another additional cost, the cost to freeze any additional embryos, the cost to store the donor sperm. The costs can be staggering. My biggest reservation (in addition to not being sure I can ever get comfortable/on board with donor sperm) is it's only a chance - there's no guarantees. When you couple the financial, emotional, and physical toll this takes it's really eye opening.

[BNL2]

Mar 13, 2013 23:26:10 GMT -5 discogranny said:

I felt exactly like you ladies. In total our IVF was $16,500 including meds. When I type that out it gets me because there are so many other things we could have done with that amount of money. It would have paid for a year of college for a future child, paid off a car, etc.

I can say that even though we have nothing but two frozen embryos to show for it now, I would still do it again for the chance. DH and I are fully aware that even if a FET works for us, we will most likely need another full IVF for a sibling. $16,500 is a lot of money to gamble with, but for us it will be worth it to be secure in knowing we did absolutely everything we could to biologically conceive. Should the FET not work, we won't have the "what if" regrets of not having exhausted all efforts.

All of that being said, this is a really personal decision and I wish you all the best in making it.

Thank you for your perspective. It's nice from someone who has already gone through the process.