Post-diagnosis
Now that you have some answers, it’s time to take the next step. From making sense of insurance and managing costs, to understanding fertility treatment options, we’re here to help make your fertility journey easier.
First things first: know your fertility insurance coverage
Whether you need help understanding your fertility benefits coverage, or just want to learn about available insurance options and financial support, you’ve come to the right place.
To get started, consult with your fertility specialist
Fertility treatment costs can vary based on location, whether you’re using your own egg and sperm or not, and several other factors.
Fertility treatment costs can vary based on location, whether you’re using your own egg and sperm or not, and several other factors.
Find a fertility specialist
Use our finder tool to view different fertility clinics and help locate the right one for you.
This is not a complete list of all physicians in your area. Ferring is not responsible for the consistency and accuracy of the information provided. A listing on this site does not constitute a referral, recommendation, or endorsement for any physician or practice listed.
Next, where you live matters
Refer to the map to see what fertility insurance coverage your state offers.
As of October 2024, 22 states plus Washington, D.C. have passed fertility insurance coverage laws.
Refer to the map to see what fertility insurance coverage your state offers.
As of October 2024, 22 states plus Washington, D.C have passed fertility insurance coverage laws.
What happens if you live in one state but work in another?
Generally, the state where your employer is located determines whether or not the state mandate applies to your employer-provided health insurance plan.
Next, identify what type of health insurance you have
- Public insurance includes government programs like Veterans Administration for people who’ve served in the armed forces and TRICARE, which covers current military personnel and their families
- There are no federal mandates that require public insurance to cover infertility
Talk to your benefits provider to find out what services are covered for you
- Private insurance includes commercial insurance companies, like Aetna® and Cigna®, among others; nonprofit insurance companies, like Blue Cross®/Blue Shield®; and self-insuring groups, like employers who pay benefit claims directly instead of using an external insurance provider
- Self-insuring businesses are exempt from state mandates to provide or offer coverage. So, if your employer is self-insured, you should check with your HR representative or benefits manager to find out what’s covered for you
Ask your employer: What’s covered under my plan? What benefits do I have? How can I add benefits?
- Check to see if your fertility specialist’s practice offers cost-savings or financial programs
- Look into how you can lower your out-of-pocket costs
- Set up a meeting with your employer’s benefits coordinator or HR representative to discuss fertility treatment coverage and request changes to your plan
- Explore a variety of options beyond health insurance, like grants and scholarships, to help fund your fertility journey
For more information about insurance coverage, check out RESOLVE.org
A fertility benefits manager specializes in helping individuals access the care and support they need, with a primary focus on fertility benefits. These benefits are offered in addition to standard commercial insurance.
Providers include:
Carrot Fertility
Maven Clinic
WIN Fertility
Check out the list of terms and phrases we put together to help you speak insurance lingo.
3 tips that may help reduce out-of-pocket (OOP) costs
Health insurance policies vary on how they handle coverage for fertility treatments. Your first step is to find out what your policy covers. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to know your insurance coverage, but there are places to turn for help.
If your insurance is through your work, check with your Human Resources department to speak with the person most knowledgeable about benefits. If you buy health insurance independently, ask your broker or insurance company. Most fertility clinics also have someone on staff who can help you understand your health insurance policy.
Once you understand your coverage, check out these 3 tips to help you along the way.
Many health insurance policies only pay full benefits if you use providers that are within their network. Before you start incurring costs, whether with your OBGYN or with your fertility specialist/reproductive endocrinologist (RE), confirm that the doctor you are seeing is within your network. If your doctor refers you or your partner to a specialist, first make sure that the specialist is within your insurance company’s network. Also specifically ask if all laboratories they use are in-network. This is especially the case if your fertility clinic uses an in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory or genetic testing service that is not a part of its clinic.
Even if your policy covers fertility, you must read the fine print to make sure that it covers the treatment and medication your doctor is prescribing. For example, your doctor might suggest that you genetically test the embryos prior to transfer to increase your odds of success. However, you might end up paying for genetic testing out of pocket, so it’s a good idea to confirm if the cost is covered first.
Another example is that your insurance may not cover all brands or types of medication. Before your treatment, let your clinic know what is covered and that you want your treatment to use the covered medication to avoid out-of-pocket costs.
Read more about insurance coverage.
Money is a valid part of deciding on a treatment plan, and your doctor should be your partner in developing an approach that will maximize your insurance coverage while avoiding as many out-of-pocket costs as possible. The following are examples of the types of things you and your doctor should consider when developing a treatment plan.
IUI requirement
Some insurance policies require a specified number of intrauterine inseminations (IUIs) before other treatments will be covered. Even if your doctor believes that IVF is your best choice for getting pregnant, your insurance may require a certain number of IUIs first before covering either.
IVF cycle limit or total dollar limit
Health insurance policies will often specify either a limit on the number of IVF cycles that will be covered or a dollar limit for all treatment. This is important information for your doctor and you to consider when creating a treatment plan to give you the best chance of a healthy baby and to avoid out-of-pocket costs.
Some insurance policies do not cover procedures such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or assisted hatching. Knowing this in advance may alter the treatment plan.
Health insurance coverage for fertility treatments can be confusing, but with some planning, and the help of a fertility benefits manager, it is possible to maximize your coverage and avoid out-of-pocket costs on your way to having a baby.
Understanding fertility treatment options
*Rates are age-dependent, and success was defined as the rate of live births per cycle.
Often the first fertility treatment, timed intercourse involves tracking and scheduling with the help of a doctor to narrow down a woman’s most fertile window for conceiving. Your doctor or fertility specialist uses blood tests and ultrasounds to ensure:
- A lead follicle is growing (maturing) to release
- The follicle is going through the various stages to develop into a mature egg
- Progesterone levels are changing, confirming ovulation took place
During OI, fertility drugs are used to stimulate one or multiple eggs, depending on the diagnosis, to grow and be released from the ovaries to help increase the chances for conception. This is performed in conjunction with either timed intercourse or IUI.
Usually, IUI is one of the first treatments your fertility specialist might recommend, after commonly used oral or injectable fertility medicines. During the procedure, sperm is placed directly into the uterus in order to bypass the cervix and place the sperm closer to the egg.
But while IUI is often less expensive, it only offers about an 8%—10% chance of pregnancy per cycle.
With IVF, sperm and eggs are combined outside the body in a laboratory. Fertilized eggs are grown into embryos which are then transferred into the uterus in hopes of achieving pregnancy. While IVF is the most effective fertility treatment option with a 48% success rate* for women younger than 35, it can also be more expensive.
*Success was defined in clinical data as live births per cycle.
The IVF process step by step
- COS aims to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, increasing the chances of creating an embryo
- The doctor will prescribe fertility drugs to help support the growth of the follicles (which contain immature eggs)
- Once they reach the right size, a “trigger shot” will be given to mature the eggs for retrieval
- Sedation is provided before the doctor uses a vaginal probe to retrieve the eggs from the ovarian follicles
- This procedure typically takes less than an hour in the doctor’s office
Keep in mind… Your fertility specialist may prescribe progesterone any time between now and the embryo transfer to prepare the uterus for implantation and support pregnancy. This medication may be continued for 10 weeks after a positive pregnancy test.
- Sperm is typically collected via masturbation or a special condom used during intercourse
- Sperm is separated from the semen
- If no sperm is present in the semen, it may be obtained from the testicle
- Partner or donor sperm will be mixed with the eggs
- The fertilized eggs are kept in an incubator, where embryos develop and may be tested for certain genetic disorders before they are transferred
- The doctor will help decide how many embryos to transfer, balancing pregnancy chances with the possibility of multiples (twins or triplets)
- The selected embryo(s) will then be transferred into the uterus using a catheter
Common fertility-related surgeries:
Certain medical conditions, such as problems with your fallopian tubes, endometriosis, or fibroids, can cause fertility issues. In many cases, surgery can treat these problems, restoring your chance to conceive. And thanks to medical advances, most of these procedures are minimally invasive and have a short recovery period.
Here’s a list of common fertility-related surgeries:
- Laparoscopy: Sometimes used as a diagnostic tool, laparoscopy involves the insertion of a small, lighted camera into the pelvic cavity, which allows your doctor to check for things such as scar tissue, endometriosis, and blockages impacting the fallopian tubes and ovaries. If issues are discovered, your surgeon may use additional surgical tools to correct the problems.
- Operative hysteroscopy: In addition to being a diagnostic tool, a hysteroscopy can also be used to remove tissue or growths that interfere with fertility. Operative hysteroscopy can provide a view of fibroids, scar tissue, polyps, and abnormalities inside the uterine cavity.
- Myomectomy: Myomectomy refers to the removal of uterine fibroids and is sometimes called fibroidectomy. It’s often done through laparotomy (which is a major surgery—see below), but can sometimes be done via laparoscopy or hysteroscopy, which are less invasive.
- Laparotomy: If minimally invasive procedures are not feasible, your doctor may recommend laparotomy. This is a major surgery, performed under general anesthesia on an inpatient basis (which means you’ll be spending time in the hospital).
Free fertility coaching
Our trained coaches are all credentialed fertility nurses. They’re here to anticipate your fertility needs and answer your fertility questions—even the ones you didn’t know to ask.
Free fertility coaching
Get the most out of your appointment with your
fertility specialist
Your first appointment will last 1-2 hours, and you’ll probably talk to your fertility specialist or nurse about:
- Your/your family’s medical history
- Your sexual history
- How long you’ve been trying to conceive
- Potential treatment options
- Coverage and costs of fertility treatments
Your fertility specialist may also order/do a few tests, including:
- Blood tests
- A vaginal ultrasound
- A hysterosalpingogram (HSG)
- Semen analysis
Whether your appointment is in-person or virtual, we can help you prepare. Make sure you have these things ready:
- Call ahead of time to have your OBGYN send relevant medical records—like surgeries, recent Pap tests, and a list of any medications you take—over to your fertility specialist’s office
- Gather copies of any previous fertility workups you or your partner have had
- Have insurance information available for you and your partner
- Make a list of concerns/observations about your cycle
- Write down all of your questions and concerns before the appointment starts
- Have a support person with you on the call or at the in-person appointment as allowed by clinic guidelines
- Keep a paper and pen handy to write down notes
Whether you’ve started treatment or not, we’ve got your discussion guide.
Find out more about Ferring’s fertility product portfolio
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