Cost Estimates and Package Pricing for Infertility Services
We strive to make our pricing as straight forward as possible. We make every effort to minimize “surprise” costs. Prior to starting treatments, we will provide you with an accurate cost summary and discuss your payment options. We offer financing services through a third party partner. We are contracted with many insurance providers to assist patients offset the costs associated with infertility treatments. Please read the section below to find out useful tips on determining your infertility coverage through your insurance. Our package pricing and multi-cycle options are not available for people choosing to use their insurance. After evaluating your insurance benefits and estimating your out of pocket expense, you may find that our package pricing plans offer a better alternative to insurance. We are happy to work with you to explore your individual options.
Call us for details. 530-771-0177 or email at [email protected]
Insurance and Fertility Treatments
Patients have the option of using their insurance or paying out of pocket for one of our global pricing packages. If you are using insurance, our staff can help. We have an excellent staff of insurance specialists that are dedicated to helping you understand your benefits. Even if you don’t have infertility coverage, we may still be able to help offset your costs for the consultation or testing. Learn more about insurance coverage for infertility treatments here.
For patients that want to use our package pricing options, California IVF Fertility Center is proud to offer very competitive pricing options to complement our outstanding services. By offering global pricing, patients pay a set fee for the services provided. Many clinics clam to offer a set fee but patients are later surprised to learn how many of the little “extras” they need along the way. This leads to higher costs and higher levels of anxiety and frustration. Our goal is to give you estimates as close as possible to your actual costs. If you are comparing costs, be sure to understand all of the possible fees that may be needed. When you compare the final costs of treatment, it becomes clear that our pricing options are among the easiest to understand without added fees that show up during treatment. If you have any questions about our pricing, we are happy to discuss this without hesitation. Give us a call or email us with any questions.
Single Cycle IVF Package
California IVF is pleased to offer an all-inclusive price for a single IVF treatment cycle. A cycle includes the stimulation of the ovaries, collection of eggs, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) if needed, embryology work, and the first embryo transfer. This package includes all the necessary items to complete a treatment of IVF for most individuals. Cryopreservation of extra embryos for 1 year, procedure room or operating room (OR), and anesthesia costs are also included. A single cycle would include the collection and fertilization of eggs through the transfer of embryos and storage of extra embryos. We do not charge for the “extras” along the way such as blastocyst culturing and assisted hatching. Medication costs and the initial evaluation and testing are not included in this package. If a frozen embryo transfer is needed after the one included transfer, additional charges will apply. Advanced payment is required for all treatment services that are not billed to insurance.
Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)
Frozen embryo transfers involve the use of embryos that were stored during the IVF treatment. The frozen embryo procedure involves preparation of the uterus to receive the embryos, thawing and transfer of the embryos, and two pregnancy tests and an obstetrical ultrasound.
Multi-cycle IVF plans
The multi-cycle IVF plans include a two and three cycle plan. The goal of these plans is to allow patients to pay for multiple egg collections at a significant discount. The multi-cycle plans include the first embryo transfer. Patients with low ovarian reserve or patients interested in minimal stimulation protocols will have a financial benefit from using the 2 and 3 cycle plans. With the multi-cycle plan, patients do not have clinic costs associated with the ongoing treatments. The multi-cycle options are our most popular payment options as it allows for much more treatment at a cost that is lower than a single treatment at other clinics that use hidden fees to increase the cost. This option also helps to reduce anxiety during the initial treatment as there is a backup plan already in place if the first cycle is not successful. Medications are not included in treatment packages. Advanced payment is required.
High AMH Plan
Patients that have a high AMH are likely to produce a large number of follicles that result in enough embryos for multiple attempts. Our physicians at California IVF use medication protocols that remove the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation (OHSS) and allow patients to take advantage of the higher numbers of eggs that usually accompany a high AMH level. The High AMH Plan offers the same benefits of the single cycle plan but includes 3 embryo transfer procedures. The plan is also interchangeable with the 2 cycle plan. This option provides the most flexibility for dealing with the unknown outcomes that can occur with IVF treatments. Because of the flexibility of the 2 cycle and High AMH plans, most patients will benefit from these options. We are happy to explain your options in more detail and discuss how the multi-cycle plans can benefit you.
Standard Evaluation
We offer a standard evaluation package for a fixed cost to couples that do not have insurance benefits that will cover the diagnostic testing. The total package costs significantly less than the cost you would likely pay if you were having the testing performed at a lab or hospital. We have evaluation packages for males and females that include necessary labs, a semen analysis, and saline contrast ultrasound. In many cases we can successfully bill the testing to your insurance. We are happy to help you determine the most cost effective way to complete your testing. Our physicians will determine the necessary testing for you after your consultation.
Itemized pricing
Itemized pricing is used for insurance carriers since they will not generally pay for services in advance. Since insurance carriers and benefits vary greatly, we are not always able to provide an accurate estimate in advance due to the complexity of insurance plans. We are happy to help determine your benefits and help you to understand the most cost effective options available to you.
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Please contact our clinic for additional information about any of these plans. We have financing options available to help with the costs of treatment. Not all plans will meet the needs of each person and you should evaluate all plans and options to find the one that best suits your needs and desires. Please keep in mind that shared cost, or risk shared plans ( 2 cycle and 3 cycle options ) can cost more for patients conceiving on their first try when compared to the cost of a single treatment cycle. These programs are designed to lessen the cost burden when more than one treatment cycle may needed to achieve a pregnancy.
Why Is IVF So Expensive?
In Vitro fertilization requires skilled staff, expensive equipment, costly supplies, and many safety features to provide an environment that will allow embryos to survive and make a baby. As people understand more about the complex nature of advanced fertility treatments, many come to realize the cost of the treatments is actually extremely reasonable. The document “Why is in vitro fertilization so expensive.pdf” outlines many of the overhead costs involved with running an advanced in vitro fertilization laboratory. We encourage questions about the costs of treatments to help our patients better understand every aspect of their treatment.
Patients should be very careful selecting a clinic based only on the cost of treatments. Other clinics may be discounting their services, but high quality care is is not something that should be overlooked by bargain shopping. We are very sensitive to the cost of our services and procedures and strive to provide the highest level of care at the most cost effective approach. We will not burden our patients with unnecessary and expensive testing before a treatment cycle and will not complicate our costs with hidden “add-ons” that come as a surprise during the course of treatment.
Many insurance plans will cover the costs of diagnostic testing as well as counseling. California IVF has contracted with numerous carriers to help offset the high cost of fertility treatments. You should ask your insurance provider several questions:
1. Do I have coverage for an infertility consultation?
2. Are diagnostic tests covered?
3. Do I need a referral for these benefits?
4. Is California IVF or Dr. Zeringue a network provider?
5. Do my benefits extend to “out of network” providers?
6. What treatments are covered?
7. What medications are covered?
8. What are my co-payments?
You should have them send you an authorization letter outlining the extent of your coverage and your costs. If you are billing your consultation and testing to your insurance provider, we will require that you have a preauthorization letter indicating this benefit. Patients will be responsible for charges not paid by their insurance provider. The single cycle option will offer a significant discount due to the advance payment and bundling of services. For most patients this will be a better alternative than the itemized pricing associated with insurance. Insurance payments can not be used as credit towards the discounted IVF plans. Click for more information on insurance coverage and benefits related to infertility testing and treatment including inseminations and in vitro fertilization.
Military Discount and Tricare Coverage
Active duty military members, retirees, and their dependents have insurance benefits through Tricare when seeking services outside of a military installation. Tricare has very specific guidelines pertaining to what services are covered. California IVF Fertility Center has extensive knowledge and experience working with Tricare. We can help you understand these benefits and how they can be combined with a military discount. Learn more about military discounts and Tricare coverage for infertility treatments, in vitro (IVF), and other infertility services here.
All information presented here is meant for informational purposes. Pricing and packages are subject to change without update to this page.