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Affordable IVF: Cut Costs in 4 Unique Ways
How much does In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) cost? IVF costs can pile up quickly, especially when you must cover expenses yourself without the benefit of 3rd party payments. Couples trying IVF should understand infertility insurance laws, how the tax code works, and when to use supplemental insurance to make having a baby more affordable.
You will find four strategies to lower what you spend on IVF:
- Know state mandates - the key to finding infertility insurance coverage
- Make the U.S. tax code work for you -
- IVF costs are tax deductible
- IVF refund programs maximize tax savings
- Affording having an IVF baby - get a payoff when you deliver with supplemental insurance
- Project your IVF spending - the answer to "how much is IVF" depends primarily on your age
Supplemental Maternity Insurance If you think IVF costs are insanely high, wait until you get pregnant, take an unpaid maternity leave, and then have an extra mouth to feed. And what if you conceive multiples, miss work prior to delivery, and have preemies in the NICU for weeks? Plan ahead. Look beyond what you may spend getting pregnant. Purchase supplemental insurance before beginning your next cycle and make getting pregnant more affordable.
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IVF Health Insurance Coverage Nothing cuts your cost of getting pregnant via IVF than having your insurance carrier pay all or a portion of the fees for diagnostic tests, fertility drugs, egg retrieval, implantation and other expenses associated with In Vitro Fertilization. Most carriers won't cover any of these expenses, but some do. Understanding the ins and outs is one important step to making your treatments more affordable.
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Cost of In Vitro Covered by Insurance
The best way to keep your cost of IVF manageable is to have somebody else pay for it - your employer's group health insurance plan. These plans are very difficult to find, but every couple should start by understanding how state infertility insurance laws work to see if they can get coverage. Take these two steps first:
- Determine what state the employer for both spouses are headquartered
- Research the laws in the these states
Fifteen states mandate that certain infertility treatments be covered by group or individual health insurance. The laws apply to employers headquartered in the state. Many people make the mistake of assuming the law pertains to where they live - not so. If one of your employers' are headquartered in these states you may be covered. If you live in a large state without a mandate don't give up. Couples living in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida, or any other state without an IVF law should consider where their employer is headquartered.
Plans mandated benefits for IVF costs are best. There is a direct reimbursement of your expenses to the clinic. The states with mandates requiring In Vitro Fertilization are: Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Texas.
Other mandates specifically exclude IVF coverage, however benefit may be paid for supporting procedures for diagnosis, testing, fertility drugs, and more. States with infertility mandate excluding In Vitro are: California, Louisiana, Montana, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia.
Costs of IVF Treatment are Tax Deductible
IVF and a variety of infertility treatment costs not covered by insurance are considered tax deductible medical expenses. Proper planning can make a big difference on your total expenditure for getting pregnant. It pays to understand the advantages and disadvantages for two tax saving vehicles. Below is a brief summary. You can learn more by about how to maximize IVF tax deductions on our FSA pages.
Acupuncture is a common procedure used in conjunction with In Vitro and other infertility treatments. As an alternative medical procedure it is also commonly not covered by insurance, but can be deducted as a medical expense on both an FSA and Schedule A. Be sure to include these charges.
Schedule A deductions begin after your un-reimbursed medical expenses exceed 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). That floor rises to 10% beginning in 2014 thanks to the recently passed Patient Protection and Affordability Act. For couples coping with infertility the new law made getting pregnant more costly - not more affordable.
The tax deductible floor is a key reason why IVF refund programs are tax efficient. One component of these plans is an incentive to purchase multiple cycles up front. In addition to getting a bulk price or quantity discount on each cycle, it encourages you to accumulate all your expenses into a single tax year. $45,000 in deductible expenses all in one year yield a far bigger savings than the amount level of expenses spread over three years. There are other advantages of IVF refund programs which are explored further on another page.
Infertility and IVF Tax Deductions Infertility and IVF expenses are tax deductible, but couples can find a huge swing in their savings by understanding how IRS rules work. There are two tax savings vehicles that can be used: Flexible Spending Account (FSA), and Schedule A deductions. Each has different rules, features, advantages, and limitations.
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Affording In Vitro Fertilization AND Pregnancy
Supplemental maternity insurance can also reduce your expenditure when you conceive and deliver your IVF baby. Cash payments made directly to you while recovering from childbirth make the policy extremely affordable. Use the surplus to offset what you had to pay your infertility clinic in order to get pregnant.
IVF is often associated with high-order multiple pregnancy; a hidden cost of multiple embryo transfer. Often more than one embryo is inserted to increase the odds of conception, minimize the number of cycles needed to get pregnant, and keep expenses as low as possible. Multiple pregnancies are often high risk, and can lead to lost income for mom, and left over medical bills when the infants are born preterm.
Utilize supplemental maternity insurance when your clinic suggests that your IVF success rate is very high. You can replace the lost income, gain security for complications, and may realize a bonus benefit to help cover extra hospital bills - which are also tax deductible. We are currently licensed in the following states: California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania,and Texas - including agents in Houston
IVF Cost India
You may see many IVF clinics in India advertising low cost treatments. If you live in the U.S. this may mean extensive travel time and costs. In addition to being able to deduct your IVF costs, travel costs for medical treatment are considered tax deductible as well. Be sure to factor in these tax savings when considering utilizing an IVF clinic in India.
Your Age Determines "How Much is IVF? "
The biggest driver of what you might spend is the number of cycles you must complete before bringing a baby home. And the biggest driver of IVF success rates is not the clinic you choose, or the drugs you take, the high tech procedures, or the extra diagnostic monitoring you choose to pay for. Age is the most important factor impacting what you might pay.
Live birth rates pubished by the American Pregnancy Association are depicted in the chart below. At an average estimated cost of $12,000 cycles simple math tells us the projected number of cycles needed for a live birth, and the total expected expenditure.
| Age | Success Rate | Cycles Needed | Total Expenditure |
| Under 35 | 35% | 3 | $36,000 |
| 35 to 37 | 25% | 4 | $48,000 |
| 38 to 40 | 20% | 5 | $60,000 |
| 40 and Older | 10% | 10 | $120,000 |
