IVF Over 40, A Financial Strain
When I read the following article, it brought back one of the many unpleasant realities of going through fertility treatments.It's expensive and it's a gamble. We spent more than $25,000 on IVF and other fertility treatments before we said enough is enough. When I started conceiving on my own, although I was happy, it almost made me sick to think how I could have saved all that money and put it in a college fund for my daughter. I realize, however, some couples, depending on their diagnosis, must go through high tech fertility treatments to conceive. The article below has some financial advice:
Like the Witts, approximately 7 million Americans are infertile--that is, they have been actively trying to conceive for at least a year without getting pregnant. Less than half of those who are infertile seek treatment, though, and experts say the high cost is a big reason why. Since most insurance companies don't cover in vitro, embryonic transfer and other advanced fertility treatments, couples are forced to come up with the money themselves. That's $10,000 to $20,000 for IVF--and sometimes double or triple that price if, as often happens, pregnancy doesn't result the first time and the procedure is repeated. "For infertile couples, we're a country of haves and have-nots," says Pamela Madsen, executive director of the American Fertility Association. "If you're wealthy enough to pay out of pocket, you get treatment. But if you're middle class, you often can't get in the door.