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Priced Out of Family

Facing the High Cost of Infertility Treatments

By Sue Marquette Poremba

In her book, The Baby Business: How Money, Science, and Politics Drive the Commerce of Conception (Harvard Business School Press, 2006), Debora Spar, senior associate dean and director of research at Harvard Business School, breaks down the price of birth through fertility treatments:

• Sperm $300
• Eggs $4,500
• IVF $12,400 per cycle ($66,667–$114,286 per live birth)

While most clinics do not provide direct financial assistance – as one doctor said, "We are not banks" – many do have associations with financial companies to set up loans and payment plans. However, taking out loans ultimately makes the process even more expensive, once interest rates are factored in.

Congress has looked at the rising cost of infertility, but while bills have been introduced, little action has been taken. Some believe that fertility treatments are cosmetic, rather than medically necessary. Others believe it should be a matter for the states. Plus, there is a problem of who is considered infertile. Currently, unmarried women are not considered infertile because infertility is determined by legal marital status. It could mean that a single woman would not be eligible for coverage offered to married couples.

Couples need to take heed of the cost per cycle. On average, it takes two attempted cycles for a successful pregnancy, according to Dr. Paul Magarelli, co-founder of the Corona Institute of Reproductive Medicine & Fertility. "Most patients walk in believing they'll succeed on the first go-round," he says. "They are surprised when they don't." Budgeting for multiple attempts from the beginning helps lower the stress level, he says, and a lower stress level helps the pregnancy "take."

Want to see more?

• The Price of Parenthood: 4 Steps to Financing Fertility
• Dollars and Sense: Affording Infertility Treatment
• The Overseas Connection: A Trip Across the Ocean May Solve Fertility Problems
• Talk about it!

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