The costs associated with all forms of in vitro fertilization (IVF) are considerable and unfortunately a pregnancy cannot be guaranteed. Because of this, many people seeking to add to their family may decide not to pursue treatment. For those patients considering the donor egg program, for which this is a significant concern, we offer the Donor Egg IVF Guarantee Program.
PROGRAM CRITERIA:
If a patient qualifies for the program, they would be given up to three fresh split donor egg IVF cycles as well as all resulting cryopreserved (frozen) IVF cycles related to their fresh IVF cycles for a fixed cost of $27,500. If these cycles do not result in a live birth after three fresh IVF transfers as well as the transfer of all their cryopreserved embryos, they would be refunded 100% of their $27,500. The original cost of $27,500 includes:
- Three (3) fresh, split donor egg cycles, and all frozen embryo transfer cycles, to be accomplished within an eighteen (18) month period after starting the first fresh donor egg IVF cycle
- Donor screening
- Donor medications
- Donor cycle monitoring
- Donor retrieval and anesthesia
- Donor stipend
- Embryology services, including intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and assisted hatching, if indicated
- Recipient treatment monitoring
- Embryo transfer
- Embryo cryopreservation and storage for the first seventeen (17) months after the conclusion of the first fresh donor egg IVF cycle
The original cost of $27,500 does not include:
- Testing and determination of patient eligibility into the program
- Donor egg recipient medications
- Epididymal/testicular sperm extraction ($3300 per procedure, if necessary)
- Pre- or post- IVF anatomic, medical, and laboratory assessments, or necessary medical/surgical corrections of recipient and male partner
- Storage of embryos beyond the initial 17 month period
- Pre- or intra- IVF transfer surgeries
- Embryo biopsy or pre-implantation genetic testing (if necessary or requested)
- Embryo transfer anesthesia (if necessary)
- Medical care, including ultrasounds, once pregnancy is established
- Monitoring done at an outside facility
- Specific recipient-requested genetic testing of egg donor
These items will be necessary for some couples and not for others. Costs for these non-included procedures will be calculated at usual F.I.R.M. rates. Medication costs will vary depending on the amount required and where they are purchased. Payment in full is required four (4) weeks prior to baseline ultrasound treatment start.
To qualify for this program the donor egg recipient must:
- Be no older than 47 years old at the start of the first fresh donor egg cycle
- Not have health insurance coverage for donor egg IVF services
- Have a uterus capable of carrying a pregnancy to term (i.e. there cannot be significant pathology predisposing to poor implantation, miscarriage, or uterine rupture, unless corrected prior to treatment)
- Must have a stimulated endometrial thickness greater than, or equal to, 7 millimeters
- Have body mass index (BMI) ≤ 33
- Not have a history of endometriosis
- Not have a communicating hydrosalpinx (tube filled with fluid).
- Not have had more than one prior failed donor egg IVF cycle
- Not have any medical condition predisposing to poor implantation or miscarriage
- Not have a history of recurrent pregnancy loss
- Not use tobacco, recreational drugs, or be on any potentially teratogenic medication
- Have a partner, or commercially prepared donor sperm, with sufficient quantity of sperm to allow egg fertilization. Therefore, no azoospermia (absence of sperm) or severe oligozoospermia (very low sperm count) on semen analysis is acceptable.
- Post-vasectomy patient can qualify, but require pre-treatment hormonal testing indicative of continued sperm production, followed by sperm retrieval for egg fertilization. (The costs of the hormonal testing and sperm retrieval of the male partner are not included in the refundable donor egg IVF program and are performed at an additional charge). If no sperm or poor quality sperm is obtained from the epididymis or testicle, the couple must be willing to use donor sperm to continue qualification in the program.
The physicians at the Florida Institute for Reproductive Medicine will have final discretion as to whether someone is accepted into the program or is released from the program. A patient will be released from the program by Florida Institute for Reproductive Medicine’s physicians only if one of the qualifying criteria is not longer valid, e.g., if the female patient underwent a hysterectomy, or is deemed medically not suitable for carrying a pregnancy. If a patient is released from the program or voluntarily leaves the program prior to completion of all three fresh donor egg IVF transfers and any resulting cryopreserved embryo transfers, the program will not be considered fulfilled. Therefore, charges up to the point of program discontinuation will be calculated on current F.I.R.M. individual (“a la carte”) service pricing. If the total of individual charges at the time of program discontinuation exceeds the initial donor egg IVF refund cost of $27,500 they will be waived, and if the total individual charges are less than the original $27,500 the difference will be refunded.
Once accepted into the program, the patient must proceed with the transfer of her fresh donor egg derived IVF embryos. If pregnancy does not result, then transfer of the resulting cryopreserved embryos from the first fresh cycle will follow. If pregnancy has not occurred following the transfer of all the resulting cryopreserved embryos, a second fresh donor egg IVF cycle with transfer would occur. If pregnancy does not occur following the fresh embryo transfer of the second cycle, then the transfer of all
cryopreserved embryos from the second fresh donor egg IVF cycle happens next. Again, if pregnancy has not occurred, a third fresh donor egg IVF cycle with embryo transfer would be undertaken, again followed by transfer of all cryopreserved embryos from that fresh cycle. If the couple does not have embryos available for a cryo transfer after a fresh donor egg IVF cycle, they would proceed immediately into their next fresh IVF cycle. No credit or monies would be refunded because of a lack of cryopreserved embryos.
Embryo transfer guidelines: If available, one or two blastocysts (day 5/day 6 embryos) for both fresh and cryo IVF cycles would be transferred. If a patient is not willing to have two blastocyst embryos transferred, this would preclude participation in the program. Once a patient has been approved for the program, they must start their first fresh donor egg IVF cycle, within 90 days. If not, you must be re-approved. If a patient voluntarily terminates a pregnancy for any reason other than a genetically chromosomally abnormal pregnancy, the contract will be considered fulfilled. No monies will be refunded. If a couple were to return for transfer of their cryopreserved embryos after a successful live birth, they would be charged at regular F.I.R.M. cryo IVF cycle rates.