In most cases, traditional insurance carriers do not cover the costs of the IVF process as it is not considered “medically necessary”. An IVF cycle can range from $15K-$30K depending on one’s geographical location as well as the procedures and testing needed. Even though 8 million babies have been born as a result of IVF around the world, it is also often considered “experimental” though the first baby born via IFV is now over 40 years old. Approximately 12% of the female population experiences infertility which is the same percentage as those diagnosed with diabetes, recognized as a disease for many years and medical expenses covered by insurance. (Strauss 2018) There is however hopes for a change in thinking as we look to the future. The American Medical Association declared infertility a disease in 2017 which is a step forward in thinking. The desire is that this new label would “promote insurance coverage and payment”. (Strauss 2018) Until the insurance carriers start recognizing the IVF procedures as a covered expense, those that are having to foot the bill for the IVF process must have a plan in place to budget for these expenses.
Given that IVF is a part of every surrogacy journey, Intended Parents must consider this large expense when budgeting for this complex journey they are embarking upon. There are two new cost containment products that help with this budgeting. New to the Assisted Reproductive Technology industry, these products provide potential savings in your most valuable resources – time and money.
IVF CONNECT FOR SURROGACY
This cost-containment program allows those involved in surrogacy an exclusive opportunity to lower the cost of the IVF process. Partnering with NES Assurance, a solution was created that can offer up to 50% off the retail costs. Ultimately, IVF Connect For Surrogacy is a superior, more cost-efficient way to shop for one’s IVF journey, specifically tailored for those involved in surrogacy by offering all-inclusive packages with one of the largest networks of fellowship trained Reproductive Endocrinologists in the U.S. These all-inclusive packages directly benefit the Intended Parents by lowering the cost of the IVF process (potentially for both the donor and surrogate) while not compromising the level of medical care.
- What is covered?
- Discounted Frozen Embryo Transfers (FETs)
- Discounted Genetic Testing (PGS/PGD)
- Discounted Pharmaceuticals
- Donor discounts (Offered at specific clinics)
- Guaranteed Savings! – By having such a large network of clinics that NES Assurance has exclusively partnered with, we are able to GUARANTEE savings off the standard retail costs.
- Financing Available – An option to finance a large portion of the cost allowing more flexibility for clients and freeing up financial resources for other aspects of the surrogacy journey.
LOCAL MONITORING
Continually we have heard the following complaints from clients (specifically surrogacy agencies, clinics, and attorneys) about their own monitoring process: no uniformity in pricing, a constant “moving target” of expected costs for Intended Parents; and the number of man hours devoted to coordinating appointments and the dissemination of information back and forth between clinics, agencies, and local monitoring centers with the Donors and Surrogates. A product was developed to deliver solutions with professional partner, NES Assurance, a claims monitoring company. For every Local Monitoring client, NES Assurance provides an online portal so that all parties involved have 24/7 access to claims status, a dedicated staff of nurses and specialists who follow the Donors and Surrogates from start to finish: ensuring they are properly enrolled and that all necessary parties are well-informed; an underwriting team that oversees the process to make sure that all claims billed were not only medically necessary but also that the medical services billed were actually received by the patient. Contact ART Risk Solutions about Local Monitoring:
- Managed Coordination – You don’t have to spend company resources completing the monitoring process. Agencies have experienced an average savings of $832 per case over standard, retail costs.
- Success Rates – 2,750 successful cases to date with NO blown cycles.
- Zero Worries – A network of over 500,000 providers nationwide means we can always find a location for the Donor or Surrogate to be monitored.
Works Cited
Strauss, Elissa. 2018. July 25. https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/25/health/ivf-insurance-parenting-strauss/index.html.
