An average of 1 in 3 women has used or knows someone who has used in vitro fertilization (IVF) to conceive a child. However, IVF is not cheap since it involves so many expenses. In fact, a single round of treatment can cost $ 10,000 or more. So how do people afford this expensive, but often necessary medical procedure in order to have a child?
Well, in many cases, people seek out one of these 11 ways to pay for their IVF fertility treatments.
11 Health Savings Account
A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a special account you can set up to pay for large medical expenses. Many people who are on high-deductible health insurance plans elect to use an HSA to pay for medical expenses throughout the year.
However, they are also a great way to set aside money from each of your paychecks for a medical procedure so that you have the money available when you are ready. In most cases, IVF treatment is a qualified medical expense for an HSA. However, you should always check with your insurance provider and your fertility clinic before planning to use this method.
10 IVF Payment Plans
Depending on the fertility clinic you are using, you may be able to set up a payment plan directly through the clinic. The clinic may also partner with a third-party financing firm to help you set up a payment plan. These plans typically require a down payment, then split up the remaining total across a set number of months depending on the terms and amount you are financing. This does not always work for everyone, but it is sometimes an option worth pursuing.
9 Secondary Insurance
If you are planning ahead for your IVF treatments, you do have the option of signing up for secondary insurance in some cases. If only one spouse currently has insurance, you or your partner may be able to opt in for insurance through your employer. You may also be able to apply for supplementary insurance to go above and beyond your primary insurance, or ask your employer if they would be willing to offer additional insurance options that cover IVF.
8 Crowdfunding
Sites like GoFundMe have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially for individuals who cannot afford medical procedures like IVF. These are a great way for you to get support from friends and family, but sometimes even sharing these on social media can help you gain sympathetic donations from complete strangers.
Even if crowdfunding doesn’t help you get the total amount you need, it can help offset the expense of fertility treatments enough to make it affordable for you.
7 Grants
According to NerdWallet, there are actually organizations and treatment centers that actually offer grants for individuals or couples who meet the qualifications. These grants are typically based on your financial need, insurance (or lack thereof), and geographic location. You will likely need to fill out an application and possibly wait to hear if you will be awarded the grant, but the possibility of getting your IVF treatments paid for is more than worth the effort involved in applying for the grant.
6 Personal Loans
Depending on your credit history and other factors, you may be eligible for a personal loan to pay for your IVF treatment. These loans provide you with the money you need for the treatment upfront, then give you the ability to pay it back in fixed installments over a period of time that makes the payments more manageable for you.
Most of the time, people receive personal loans from banks, credit unions, or online lenders. However, you should always think about shopping around to make sure you get the best possible interest rates and payment terms, so you aren’t getting eaten alive in debt after you complete the treatments.
5 Home Equity Line of Credit
If you own your own home, you could also explore the possibility of borrowing against the equity in your home as a way to pay for IVF. A Home Equity Line Of Credit, or HELOC loan, works almost like a credit card – but you use the equity in your house as collateral for the loan. A HELOC can give you access to finds for IVF, and you would only have to use how much you need at any given time instead of trying to figure out how much you’ll need for treatment upfront.
4 Credit Cards
Credit cards are another way you can pay for IVF. Although credit cards often have a higher interest rate than other loan options, sometimes you can get a credit card that offers a same-as-cash or 0 percent interest offer for a set duration of time. These offers can help you take time to make payments in more manageable amounts than paying for your entire treatment cycle in one lump sum.
3 Point-Of-Sale Loans
Point-of-sale loans, also called point-of-sale financing, are special financing options that allow you to “buy now and pay later” for purchases like online shopping. In some cases, fertility clinics will partner with these lenders to give people the option to pay for treatment this way. In some cases, these offers will come with an interest-free period, which can help make payments more affordable.
2 Bundl
Unfortunately, not everyone gets pregnant on the first round of IVF. For this reason, some companies, like Bundl, will offer fertility packages at a reduced cost when you pay for multiple rounds at once. In other words, Bundl is a company that offers fertility treatments at a lower cost by packaging multiple treatment cycles together into a single up-front cost. The company offers a total of three different core packages with the option to add additional perks depending on your family’s unique needs.
1 Discount Programs
Believe it or not, sometimes there are discount options available for fertility treatment. You can ask your fertility clinic if they offer discounts for certain professions like military or teachers. Also, you can check with prescription discount companies like GoodRx to see if they offer discounted pricing for your fertility medications.
Although there are discounts for everything, any small savings can help you access IVF in a way you can afford. Or, in some cases, employers are starting to provide additional funding for employees seeking IVF.
IVF can be a very expensive process. However, there are lots of options out there to help make it more affordable. You just need to determine which options make the most sense for you.
Sources: HealthCare.gov, GoFundMe, NerdWallet, Lending Tree, Bundl, GoodRx