The Two Cycle Global Package

National data collection (CDC reports) has shown that the majority of American couples go through a maximum of two IVF cycles, and this choice is made usually due to financial reasons. With this in mind, to make two IVF cycles more financially accessible for more patients who do not have insurance for IVF, NHCRM also offers a “bundled” fee option for those who would definitely plan to do a second IVF cycle if the first were not successful at producing a live birth (See Tables 1 and 2 below). This payment option for IVF allows for doing one repeat fresh IVF cycle at a substantially discounted rate. This plan does not offer any refund of fees if a live birth does not occur. It is only offering reduced cost of the second cycle if the first fails only when the two-cycle global package is purchased before IVF treatment is started. There is a 12 month time limit for completing both fresh IVF cycles in this financial plan.

Advantages of this package plan compared to the traditional fee for service approach include:

1. the medical and laboratory service fees for two cycles are known in advance and are discounted from the regular IVF fees,
2. treatment plan is already determined and pre-paid should the first IVF cycle be unsuccessful

Disadvantages compared to the fee for service approach include:

1. If an additional cycle is NOT required for you to achieve pregnancy, then you will have paid more than if you had chosen the standard fee for service option.
2. The two cycle global package has to be used within twelve months

Who Qualifies?

Women must not have reached their 39th birthday before beginning the first stimulation cycle. Women of any age who will be using an egg donor under the age of 35 will qualify for this financial plan. Couples must be capable of and committed to completing the program in the 12 month time limit, since no refund or elective cancellation option is offered with this financial plan. If IVF has been previously recommended based on standard infertility testing and/or treatment, any couple (with female partner under 39 years old, or patients using an egg donor under the age of 35) may purchase this payment plan. IVF cycles for which Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is planned are not eligible for participation in this plan .

Patients are expected to:

• closely follow all of the physician’s instructions and to tightly adhere to their medication protocols both during IVF treatment and during their pregnancy until medically released from our care
• have proper medical obstetrical care with their physician immediately after being released from our care and throughout their IVF pregnancy.

Failure to do so may disqualify a patient from the financial discounts in this plan.

IVF Services Included in Two Cycle Global Package

1. Monitoring of IVF Ovarian Stimulation of the patient, or of the patient with her egg donor (all ultrasounds , estradiol and progesterone blood tests, and physician services for monitoring)
2. Oocyte retrieval and embryo transfer procedures
3. IVF facility fees for oocyte retrievals and embryo transfers
4. IVF laboratory services including:

• identification of eggs
• semen processing
• fertilization of the eggs
• ICSI, when needed
• culture of embryos for up to 6 days after egg retrieval
• assisted hatching, when needed
• embryo transfer laboratory services for fresh IVF cycles only
• two quantitative HCG blood tests to diagnose pregnancy at the end of the treatment cycle.

Services NOT included in the Two Cycle Global Package

1. IVF pre-cycle screening tests and office visits
2. Medications and their administration (including injections)
3. Nursing visits for teaching of the administration of medications for IVF
4. All non-IVF surgical procedures (laparoscopy, myomectomy, surgical procedures on fallopian tubes and ovaries, hysteroscopy, D&C, etc. ( These procedures are frequently of a general gynecologic or obstetric nature, and are often covered by your existing health insurance)
5. Costs related to the use of a known or anonymous egg donor such as recruitment, all required donor screening fees( medical, legal, and psychological), and donor compensation fees or donor agency fees.
6. Costs of obtaining donor sperm, or costs for the surgical sperm retrieval when necessary
7. Costs of embryo cryopreservation, storage, or future IVF treatment using those frozen embryos
8. Ultrasound monitoring of early pregnancy
9. Care or medical services provided for obstetrical care, or for complications related to the IVF process such as treatment of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, or other pregnancy complications.
10. Anesthesia Services

Table 1. Two Cycle Global IVF Package Pricing**

Table 2.  Standard Fee-for-Service Pricing**

** See services included / not included, as detailed above