How Much Does IVF Cost?

Key Points:

• In vitro fertilization (IVF) costs can vary and are affected by location, health insurance and other factors.
• IVF involves complex steps, including fertility medications, embryo transfer, and various tests, contributing to its high cost.
• Surrogacy involves working with a gestational surrogate, and a surrogacy agency, offering various benefits and guidance throughout the process.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is one of the more expensive fertility treatments because it’s more involved and typically more effective.

Generally, you can expect to pay anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000 for one round of IVF, depending on:

• Where you live
• Your health insurance
• Other factors

Surrogacy professionals often have a lot of helpful information about IVF, infertility counselors, and other family-building options. Continue reading to learn a bit more about the cost of IVF, and surrogacy, another family-building option.

Understanding the Cost of IVF

Before we detail how IVF works and why it can cost so much, we want to acknowledge that facing infertility and trying to find treatment options isn’t easy. We want to encourage you to seek help through infertility counseling or a support group.

Understanding IVF Basics

Doctors often try other fertility treatments (medication, etc.) before suggesting IVF because it’s more complicated, invasive, and pricey.

Your doctor may choose to try IVF first if you or your partner:

• Is a woman over 40
• Have certain health conditions
• Has experienced fallopian tube blockage or damage
• Have endometriosis, ovulation disorders, previous tubal ligation, uterine fibroids, or impaired sperm production
• Are experiencing unexplained infertility

The IVF Cycle

If your doctor decides IVF is your best option, you and your partner will start an IVF cycle. A typical cycle includes the following steps:

• Undergo screening: To see if IVF could work.
• Take fertility medications: These medications help egg production and prepare the body for implantation.
• Pre-retrieval tests: A vaginal ultrasound and bloodwork will determine if eggs are ready for collection.
• Sperm production: You or your partner will provide a sperm sample.
• Insemination at a fertility clinic: Eggs and sperm are combined in a dish at the medical facility to encourage fertilization. Your doctor may use intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to improve the chance of fertilization.
• Prepare for transfer:  If the transfer is successful, the embryo will implant into the uterus lining in six to 10 days.

IVF Results

After 12 days, your doctor will run bloodwork to determine if you or your partner is pregnant. If a pregnancy is confirmed, you or your partner will go to an OBGYN. If pregnancy isn’t confirmed, you and your partner can try another round of IVF or another family-building option, like gestational surrogacy.

IVF Costs

Although IVF can cost anywhere from $12,000-$30,000, VeryWell Family reports that the average couple spends $19,234 for a cycle of IVF. If you try again, you could spend an average of $6,955 per additional cycle.

Why Does IVF Cost so Much?

Although $19,000 is a high price tag, IVF is very involved. For example, IVF typically includes:

• Additional assisted reproductive technologies that may increase the chance of conception
• Pre-IVF testing
• Cryopreservation to store extra embryos and possible storage fees for those embryos
• Fertility medications
• A possible mock-embryo transfer
• Pregnancy tests
• Blood testing and ultrasound monitoring

Other factors that can affect IVF cost include:

• If you opt for mini-IVF vs. full IVF
• Possible travel expenses to get to the fertility clinic you choose
• Your insurance plan and coverage
• If you use an egg donor, sperm donor, or both
• And more

Building Your Family Through Surrogacy

Deciding to pursue surrogacy can be exciting and emotional. You likely have experienced a lot of loss during your infertility journey, and it’s OK to take time to collect your thoughts before calling a surrogacy agency.

Surrogacy Basics

Surrogacy is when a gestational surrogate, intended parents (you) and surrogacy agency work together to create your baby.

Surrogacy Agency Benefits

Although intended parents sometimes pursue independent surrogacy, working with a surrogacy agency is beneficial. Surrogacy agencies will provide you with:

• A surrogacy professional who will help you from the beginning through the end of your surrogacy journey
• Other professional references to ensure your surrogacy is legal and safe
• Surrogate matching services
• Financial protection
• And more

Intended parent surrogacy fees range from $100,000 to $250,000.

Next Steps in Weighing Infertility Options and Costs

IVF is an effective fertility option that your insurance may cover. You can try one or multiple rounds of the fertility procedure depending on how much you want to spend. 

If you decide IVF isn’t right for you, you can always talk to a surrogacy professional about gestational surrogacy.