Financial FAQ
- What are my options for financing treatment at SRM?
- How much does it cost?
- Will SRM accept my insurance?
- What will your insurance company pay?
What are my options for financing treatment at SRM?
In general, payment for services rendered will due at the time of the service, with both base fees ("package price") and fee-for-service options. Our financial counselors will assist you in determining insurance coverage, estimated costs, and payment options. Financial options include our Attain™ IVF RefundProgram and SpringStone Financial.
If you have any questions, please call 206-301-5000 and ask to speak to one of our financial counselors regarding your particular financial situation.
topHow much does it cost?
The cost of your infertility treatment and IVF depends on many variables, including your medical situation, the cause of infertility, the diagnosis code, your particular insurance and how much they will cover.
If your doctor is able to diagnose the cause of your infertility, medical or surgical procedures may be required to correct the problem. Some insurance policies will cover these surgical procedures or diagnostic tests.
Hormonal treatments require drugs, blood tests, and medical observation. Hormonal treatments in pill form cost several hundred dollars. Injectable drugs are more expensive and require closer medical monitoring. Expect to spend $1000 to $3000 for each treatment cycle with injectable drugs. Intrauterine insemination adds a few hundred dollars to either treatment options.
Assisted reproductive technologies (ART),such as IVF, are improving. The success of IVF or any other treatment depends on your particular medical situation, such as the severity of problem and whether or not multiple problems are present. A full evaluation and consultation with one of our SRM physicians will determine this for you.
IVF and other treatments are expensive because of the complexity of the procedures, the cost of equipment, and the time required of highly trained doctors and assistants.
The cost of an IVF cycle is around $9,000 - 10,000 out of pocket expense (if you do not have insurance coverage), plus $3000-$5000 more for required medicines. Adding procedures such as ICSI, blastocyst culture or freezing embryos can add to the cost.
If you have extra embryos that aren't used in an IVF cycle, SRM will offer to freeze them for you and use them in a future cycle. A frozen embryo transfer cycle still requires medications and monitoring and can cost around $3000.
topWill SRM accept my insurance?
SRM is currently in the process of negotiating contracts with all major insurance carriers. Our current list of insurances that we accept is:
- Aetna
- Cigna
- Group Health Cooperative
- First Choice Health Network
- Premera Blue Cross
- Regence Blue Shield
- Uniform Medical Plan
All patients will be able to meet with one of our financial counselors at each and every visit to assist in determining coverage and provide an estimation of costs as well as financing options.
topWhat will your insurance company pay?
More employers and legislative bodies are treating infertility as a real medical condition that should be covered by insurance. In the meantime, while many insurance plans cover the diagnosis of infertility, few cover treatment-where most of the treatment expense lies. Here is a list of steps to take:
- Examine your policy thoroughly.
- Contact your insurance company to see what infertility treatment they will cover and not cover.
- When you call your insurance company, take notes and write down the name of the representative who speaks with you.
- Ask for details on which procedures and drugs are covered.
- Ask whether there is an age restriction or maximum lifetime benefit.
- Ask if you need a referral and how can you get one?
- Do you need to use a particular clinic to get coverage and if so, which ones?
Many policies do cover procedures your doctor uses to diagnose infertility. Your insurance may pay for blood tests, a hystersalpingogram, semen analysis, and initial examinations and consultations.
If your doctor finds a cause of the infertility, your insurance may cover procedures to correct it. For example, the cost of surgery to treat pelvic pain or endometriosis, even if it contributes to your infertility, may be covered under general medical treatment.
If your insurance policy covers only a small fraction of infertility treatment, choose the best clinic you can find for the best results. Costs may be remarkably similar between using an in-network or an out-of-network provider.
One of the problems with the convoluted rules of insurance is that certain procedures may be covered even though another, more appropriate--and perhaps even cheaper--procedure is not. Some doctors may try to save their patient money by attempting covered procedures first even if they have little chance of succeeding. This wastes time and may end up costing more in the long run. Ask your doctor to spell out all the options you have--and what odds you can expect--at each step.
Infertility advocates have developed ways to argue with insurance companies to cover treatment. For example, unless your policy specifically excludes infertility treatment, the insurance company should cover expenses.
In stating your case, remember that you have an illness, treatment is medically necessary, and infertility treatment is not experimental.
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