People wanting to know how much artificial insemination costs should consider the intended outcome (becoming pregnant).
These delayed ramifications impact single women most severely because they do not have a partner to provide financial support.
These delayed consequences become magnified if you conceive twins, a possibility that is eight times more likely.
You might ask this question instead. How much does artificial insemination cost when I include a lengthy unpaid maternity leave and my infants begin life in a NICU incubator, leaving me with huge hospital bills?
Fortunately, you can mitigate these risks!
Artificial Insemination Costs for Single Women
Single women often face higher artificial insemination costs because they do not have a husband to provide sperm, support them when the procedure succeeds, and insurance excludes coverage.
At Home
The at-home insemination kit with donor sperm cost is most relevant to single women because many are not struggling with infertility. They want to have a baby without involving a partner and can order the Intracervical Insemination (ICI) components for less than $100.
- Digital thermometers
- Semen and urine containers
- Ovulation and pregnancy tests
- Syringes or basters
Of course, the at-home kit requires purchasing one vial of donor sperm per attempt, which is far more expensive. The costs add up quickly if the procedure does not work right away.
Per-cycle donor sperm costs might include the following.
- 1cc Unwashed (ICI) vial: $1,250
- Storage fees: $125 – $400
- Extended donor profiles: $40 each
- Shipping in Liquid Nitrogen Tanks: $280 – $380
At Clinic
Single women face even higher artificial insemination costs if they must utilize a fertility clinic because they have difficulty conceiving due to an underlying medical condition.
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is a fertility treatment performed by a physician, meaning the retail price ($450 before medication) will be higher. Still, health insurance might pick up a portion of the tab.
Fifteen states require insurance to cover infertility treatments, sometimes including IUI. However, these mandates often exclude single women and same-sex couples by requiring twelve months of unprotected intercourse.
Single Mothers
Raising a child as a single parent is a frequently overlooked cost of artificial insemination because the added expense reveals itself nine months after a successful cycle. Women without partners might need to cut back on work hours, reducing their earnings.
Government assistance for low-income single mothers can reduce household bills for women who work less to care for their children alone.
- Childcare
- Healthcare
- Energy (gas & electric)
- Water & Sewer
- Home Repair
- Groceries
Artificial Insemination Costs for Twins
All women are vulnerable to the unexpected costs of artificial insemination twins because of the health risks. The odds of multiple eggs fertilizing are about eight times higher than natural methods.
- Hormonal therapies (gonadotropins) increase the number of oocytes
- Sperm microsorting results in higher-quality swimmers
Twin Pregnancy
The first unexpected artificial insemination cost for twins is an extended pregnancy disability leave without pay. Women carrying multiple babies are more likely to experience medical complications before birth and may need to stop working months before their due date.
- Only ten states have mandatory paid maternity leave benefits, meaning women working in one of the forty other states imperil their finances by carrying twins or triplets.
- Women purchasing short-term disability while pregnant will not help their situation, as all policies issued by private companies exclude pre-existing conditions for at least one year.
You need to buy the coverage before conception to address the risk of missing months of work and income. In other words, purchase a policy before your next cycle!
Twin Delivery
The second unexpected artificial insemination cost for twins is an extended stay in Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) for one or both babies. More than 50% of multiples deliver prematurely or with low birth weight, often requiring specialized care.
Purchasing supplemental infertility insurance before your next ICI or IUI cycle (before conception) mitigates the risks connected to your twins beginning life in a NICU incubator. Two programs could help.
- Short-term disability replaces income during maternity leave.
- Hospital indemnity covers the mom and her NICU-confined infants.
A NICU confinement often means meeting a second or third insurance deductible (mom, infant one, infant two) and daily copayments or coinsurance charges that snowball.
Supplemental infertility insurance pays a fixed benefit for the mom’s admission and daily confinement, plus the same amount for each infant in a NICU incubator.
