2018

Making Fertility Treatment Affordable: Options for Patients

So you’ve just been told that you’re best chance of having a baby is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).  You already know that juggling the tests, exams, medications, and monitoring visits will likely be overwhelming. Even more overwhelming? Figuring out how to pay for treatment. Despite how common infertility is, very few insurance plans cover the full cost of treatment – if they cover any infertility related procedures at all. This often leaves couples scrambling to figure out how to pay out of pocket for a variety of procedures and medications.

To help patients navigate how to afford the fertility treatments they need to build the families of their dreams, the fertility specialists of IVF FLORIDA are providing a few options for patients struggling with how to cover their costs.

Understand Your Insurance Plan

While there are a few insurance plans that will cover the full cost of fertility treatment, the vast majority of plans do not. So while your plan may not cover everything, some tests and procedures may be covered depending on your plan. Many insurance plans IVF FLORIDA contracts with cover things such as diagnostic testing and consultations, reducing at least some of the cost for patients. Most importantly, patients should reach out to their insurance providers and find out exactly what is covered under their plan and what they’ll be responsible for. Learning the ins and outs of your plan will help you minimize the amount you will have to pay out of pocket.

Research Discount Programs

If you’re planning to undergo In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), there is a chance you may need more than one cycle in order to achieve a pregnancy. At IVF FLORIDA, we offer multi-cycle discounts through our Attain IVF program. Utilizing a multi-cycle discount program will increase your chances of bringing home a baby while minimizing your costs if you choose to undergo two or more cycles of treatment.

Consider Third-Party Financing

Most patients can’t afford to pay the full cost of their treatment up front. To help patients who don’t have enough saved to undergo treatment, IVF FLORIDA offers multiple healthcare-specific financing options for patients. These partners often offer interest rates below what patients can find elsewhere, lowering the overall financial burden. Depending on the program, the financing options can cover everything from medications to retrievals and transfers. Learn more about our lending partners today.

Apply for Grant Programs

A variety of non-profit organizations have popped up over the years that offer grant programs for couples struggling to afford fertility treatments. RESOLVE, the national infertility association, provides information about a variety of nonprofit organizations that provide financial assistance to infertility patients throughout the country.

Whether you pay for your fertility treatment through your insurance plan, using discount and grant programs, financing, or a mix of all of the above, the fertility specialists of IVF FLORIDA have a team of financial counselors available to help all patients figure out the best way to make fertility treatment more affordable. If you are struggling with infertility and would like additional information on how to make your treatment more affordable, contact us at 866.770.2168.

By The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 18 Jan 2018

Cervical Cancer’s Impact on Fertility

According to the American Cancer Society, this year in the United States, over 13,000 women will be diagnosed with Cervical Cancer. Luckily, advances in treatment have enabled women to survive and thrive after a cancer diagnosis. But these same therapies used to treat Cervical Cancer, while they improve patients’ chances of survival, have side effects that may negatively impact a woman’s fertility. Many of these women are in their prime reproductive years, leaving these women wondering how Cervical Cancer may affect their ability to have a child in the future.

Cervical Cancer Treatments & Infertility

Depending on how early it is caught, Cervical Cancer can be treated using procedures that can preserve a woman´s ability to have children in the future. For women with early-stage Cervical Cancer that has not spread, less aggressive forms of treatment that leave the uterus intact allow women to preserve their ability to carry a pregnancy.

For women with more aggressive forms of cancer, the need for chemotherapy and radiotherapy can dramatically affect a woman’s fertility. Chemotherapy, in particular, can cause premature ovarian failure or even early menopause. While some women will find their ovaries regain function after some time, older patients and those who have received higher levels of chemotherapy may never regain ovarian function. Women with the most aggressive forms of Cervical Cancer may need a hysterectomy, preventing them from carrying a pregnancy in the future.

Preserving Your Fertility

While treatment for Cervical Cancer can negatively impact your fertility, there are steps women can take to help preserve their fertility for the future. If time permits, women can meet with a Reproductive Endocrinologist to discuss fertility preservation options prior to beginning treatment.

Some options for fertility preservation prior to treatment include egg banking, embryo banking, and ovarian tissue banking. These options all provide women with the ability to have biological children in the future, either carrying the child themselves or utilizing a gestational carrier. Patients seeking to utilize any of these options prior to beginning cancer treatment should consult with their oncologist to determine if they are a viable candidate.

Unfortunately, some women are unable to see a fertility specialist prior to beginning treatment. While this means they may not be able to have genetically related children, they have other paths to parenthood. For patients who did not need to have a hysterectomy, donor eggs can be used to facilitate a pregnancy. If a patient had a hysterectomy, the use of donor eggs in combination with a gestational carrier can help them realize their dreams of family.

With so many advances in treatment, many more women are leading long and healthy lives post-diagnosis. For many of these women, the ability to build a family is integral to their future happiness. If you are facing a cervical cancer diagnosis and would like to learn more about the fertility preservation options available to you, please contact us at 866.770.2168 or schedule an appointment today.

By The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 10 Jan 2018