In vitro fertilization (IVF) is one of the most effective methods of getting pregnant for couples struggling with infertility. Figuring out the costs for IVF treatments is difficult. Many factors change how much your treatment plan costs, with the two biggest factors being the medical history of you and your partner and how many treatments you need. Every IVF treatment plan has multiple parts. Typically, the more steps in your plan, the more you end up paying. This may change depending on the complexity of your treatment. If your first treatment plan does not work, you may end up with a new treatment plan with entirely different prices. One of the areas many families struggle with is IVF medication. For many families, insurance covers at least a portion of clinic costs, but rarely helps with medication costs. Fortunately, there are a few universal ways to save money on your IVF medication, no matter what your treatment plan.
Understanding your Insurance Plan
It may sound like a basic step, but one of the mistakes many couples make is not understanding how their insurance plan works with IVF medication. Diving into an IVF treatment plan is exhausting, with most first-time couples underestimating how many steps are involved with each plan. This makes it easy to get exhausted doing IVF research. In other cases, the couple is familiar with their insurance plan, but too afraid to speak up to their doctor because of how involved the plan is.
Part of the complexity of IVF treatment is the number of medications available. Your doctor may initially prescribe medication not covered by your insurance, meaning you must pay out of pocket. If you know your treatment plan has medication not covered by your insurance, do not be afraid to bring this up to your doctor. Chances are, there is another IVF medication with the same ingredients available which may be covered by your insurance. Using IVF medication covered by your insurance may ultimately save you several thousand dollars.
Consider Health Savings Plan and Flexible-Spending Accounts
Health insurance is your first line of defense when it comes to saving money on IVF medications, but it is not your only option. Some companies offer flexible-spending accounts as an employee benefit. A flexible-spending account only helps you if you put money into it before your procedure. However, setting up an IVF treatment plan is normally a lengthy process and something couples spend a great deal of time discussing. If this option is available, you can set aside a portion of your income before it is taxed to use in special circumstances. The exact circumstances change depending on where you work, but one of the most common uses is paying for medical costs not covered by insurance.
Health savings plans are similar to flexible-spending accounts, but they are provided through your insurance plan. In most cases, you need a high deductible insurance plan to access one of these accounts. The advantage of health savings plan is the plans are automatically available and the funds carry over every year, while a flexible-spending account empties at the end of the year. If you have a health savings plan you have not ever dipped into before, you may be able to cover the entire medication costs from your health savings plan.
Do not be Afraid to Price Shop
Perhaps the most effective way to save money on your IVF medication is to shop around. Many couples are intimidated buying IVF medication because of the costs. Buying IVF medication is exactly like buying any other medication. Before you commit to a purchase, make sure you look around at other pharmacies. If you want the best savings, it is important to look at online pharmacies as well as local pharmacies. Online pharmacies have many advantages over traditional pharmacies. Most in-person locations only sell a few select brands. Typically, these are the most expensive brands, while online pharmacies have more freedom in selecting what brands are available.
What matters most when you buy IVF medication is not the brand name, but the ingredients used. There are many lesser known brands with the exact same ingredients as the larger name brands, meaning you are being charged extra solely for a brand name. Online pharmacies may save you several hundred dollars, if not more depending on the complexity of your IVF treatment plan.
If you have doubts, look over the product description to see what is included in the medication. You can also go through the online pharmacy to look for customer reviews. This not only helps you determine whether the pharmacy is legitimate, but it also lets you know which medications are the most effective. If you see glowing reviews for a specific fertility medication, such as Gonal-F or Follistim, bring them up to your doctor. Legitimate online pharmacies commonly include who they are partnered with as well, which is another sign of their legitimacy.
Shared Risk or IVF Refund Programs
The hardest factor to predict in an IVF treatment plan is how many cycles you need. Unfortunately, most couples do not get pregnant after a single cycle. The more cycles in your plan, the more you end up paying. Medication typically changes between cycle plans, which also impacts the costs. One of the ways to potentially save money is to sign up for either a shared risk or an IVF refund program. Through these options, you pay upfront for a set number of IVF cycles. On average, you can expect to pay for three cycles.
If you do not have a successful IVF cycle within this timeframe, you are refunded either part of or all of the money you paid upfront. The downside is if you do successfully get pregnant during the covered cycles, you may end up paying more than if you did not sign up for one of these plans. If you are on the fence, consider speaking with your doctor before committing to a program to evaluate your odds of getting pregnant within the first few cycles.
Ivfprescriptions.com has been partnering with couples for more than three decades, and is one of the primary suppliers of infertility drugs to clinics, hospitals, and fertility clinics worldwide. You can buy infertility drugs online directly from us as well. Call today to find out more!
