From consultation to treatment: A complete no-BS breakdown of the costs of IVF.

For every woman or couple embarking on IVF, the roadmap will be unique. From the types of medication to style of treatments and length of the process, no experience is ever the same and many factors will influence the final cost of your IVF journey.

Mamamia spoke with IVF Australia for a list of up-to-date costs, so you can get a feel for the fees and what they cover, at every stage.

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Initial consultation – up to $175*

Before you start your IVF journey, you will need a referral from your GP to see a fertility specialist. This initial consultation includes a full medical history with special attention to fertility factors such as your menstrual history, timing of intercourse, any sexual issues and previous pregnancy history.

The cost of your visit is dependent on your specialist and whether you are going alone or with your partner. Individual appointments cost from $180 to $250 with a Medicare rebate of $75. If both partners attend the initial consult the average appointment fee is $300 with a rebate of $150.

Ovulation Cycle Tracking – up to $395*

Ovulation cycle tracking is a simple process that can help you identify which days you’re most fertile. This is done by tracking your hormone cycle to predict when ovulation is going to take place. By carrying out simple blood and ultrasound tests to detect this hormone surge, your clinic can advise you of the ideal time to have sex to give you the best chance of conception.

There is no out-of-pocket cost for your first ovulation cycle tracking program at IVF Australia. This service is bulk billed for the first cycle for all Medicare cardholders. Any additional ovulation cycle tracking has an out-of-pocket cost of $395.

Ovulation induction – $700*

Ovulation induction involves taking medication such as the drug Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid), to encourage more eggs to develop in your ovaries before being released. This increases the chance of conception through timed intercourse or artificial insemination.

One cycle of ovulation induction costs $700 and includes assessment and regular monitoring of your cycle. The cost does not include your medications.

Artificial Insemination (IUI) – $2,037*

Artificial insemination or intrauterine insemination (IUI) involves inserting the male partner or donor’s prepared semen through the neck of the womb (cervix) and into the uterus, close to the time of ovulation. It is a simpler, less invasive form of fertility treatment and so costs less than IVF. This treatment can work with a woman’s natural menstrual cycle or be paired with ovulation induction.

IVF Treatment – $4,991*

In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is the general name for the procedure used to overcome a range of fertility issues. In a nutshell, IVF is when the woman’s egg (her own or a donor egg) and the male sperm (partner or donor) are joined together in a specialised laboratory.

The fertilised egg (embryo) is allowed to grow in a protected environment for some days before being transferred into the woman’s uterus, increasing the chance that a pregnancy will occur. Your treatment is coordinated by a fertility specialist and includes specialist appointments, assessments, tests, counselling and procedures.

The cost of your unique IVF treatment plan will vary, but generally, during your first cycle, you can expect your out-of-pocket costs to be approximately $4,991.

If you need more than one cycle in a calendar year and reach the Medicare safety net, your out-of-pocket costs will be less at $3,946. The full cost for one IVF cycle is $9,828.

Affordable IVF at The Fertility Centre

For women and couples looking for less expensive pathways to IVF, The Fertility Centre provides access to some of the most affordable IVF treatment in Australia.

A team of fertility specialists manage your care and the out-of-pocket costs are a fraction of what you would pay at other IVF clinics. They reduce costs by bulk billing blood tests and ultrasounds, having experienced specialists consult on a rotational basis, using experienced nursing staff on the IVF journey and standardising and simplifying IVF treatments.

For more information on affordable IVF options and eligibility criteria, visit The Fertility Centre website.

ICSI Treatment – $5,302*

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is performed as an extra step of a regular IVF treatment cycle, where a single sperm is injected into each egg to assist fertilisation. This treatment is only used where there is concern about the quality of the sperm.

The full cost for one cycle of ICSI is $10,608 with estimated out-of-pocket costs at $5,302.

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Frozen Embryo Transfer – $2,309*

If you do get a good yield of eggs that are successfully fertilized from an IVF cycle, you may decide to freeze the resulting extra embryos for future use.

A frozen embryo transfer (FET) is a cycle where a frozen embryo from a previous fresh IVF cycle is thawed and transferred back into a woman’s uterus. This means you won’t have to undergo another cycle of hormone stimulation and an egg collection which is why the cost is significantly cheaper.

The full cycle payment costs $3,760 with estimated out-of-pocket costs for a first cycle in a calendar year (safety net not reached) at $2,309.

Embryo freezing and storage – From $600 for six months*

If you have a number of viable embryos, you may want to consider freezing them for future use. There is an initial freezing and ongoing storage fee and the cost varies depending on how many embryos you have to store. The cost is $600 including six-month storage for one to 10 embryos or $950 including six-month storage for 11-20 embryos.

Ongoing storage fees are $250 every six months.

For more information on specific IVF costs or to find out more about individual treatments, visit the IVF Australia website.

* All costs listed are approximate, depending on individual clinics. They are based on current IVF Australia fees in NSW as of March 2020.

Feature image: Getty.

For more on this topic:

• Everything you want to know about the process of IVF, answered by a fertility specialist.
• “We’ve been trying for 7 years.” 3 women open up about struggling with secondary infertility.