IVF Cost & Success Rates
Understanding IVF Success Rates
Many clinics report and advertise their success rates via the Australian government website yourivfsuccess.com.au, while this is a useful tool for many clinics and prospective patients, at small clinics with no barriers to treatment access, success rates can be very skewed above or below the ‘average’.
Statistically success rates the world over are the same, so from clinic to clinic the variations are very slight. Some of the important things to consider when comparing success rates are:
- More eggs collected per egg collection DOES NOT increase the number of babies, but it does increase the cost to you because of the additional number of Frozen Embryo Transfers required.
- Higher doses of FSH produce more eggs BUT LESS babies. Worldwide figures show us that baby rates don’t get much better than around 1 in every 3 egg collections (USA being the exception) and after the age of 40, this is 1 in 10.
- If baby rates are higher than expected from above, it’s important to consider why this might be. The reasons may include limiting cycles for or excluding “difficult” patients often based on aspects such as age, weight and other fertility complications.
Demeter Fertility does not have exclusion criteria and takes on all patients regardless of their chances of a successful outcome. If we were to report our rates within the average criteria other clinics stick to, we would be above average however the government success website does not allow for us to do so.
We listen to each client’s story and offer options for all patients.
IVF Treatment Costs
We’ve provided some approximate figures that are representative of the costs BEFORE a Medicare rebate, however access to these rebates will ensure that your out-of-pocket costs are significantly lower than these estimates.
Beyond the various Medicare rebates available, other complicating factors in determining exact costs include any add-ons you may opt for within your treatment cycle. For example:
- Frozen Gamete storage costs (billed annually) for excess frozen gametes collected
- Additional Section 8 pain management medication if required
- Embryo Glue
- PGD/PGS Testing
- ERA Testing
Please contact our team to discuss further, as we strive in making our services accessible for all, hence why we work closely with external providers (e.e. for medications, scans, hospital costs) to lower your external costs.
While we don’t bulk bill, we are more affordable than all larger clinics, not because we compromise on quality – we offer an impressively high standard of care.
It’s because we recognise that not all costs are essential to your treatment and we adjust our practices to ensure you only pay for what you really need.
We offer all patients the option of undergoing egg collections and embryo transfers in our on-site procedure rooms under local anaesthetic to avoid hospital and anaesthetic charges. These surgical procedures are also included in the one off treatment fee above and not charged a separate efee, regardless of if you opt for local or general anaesthetic collection.
Similarly we don’t charge for freezing any excess sperm, eggs or embryos collected from your cycle, we don’t charge you for a ‘spot’ on any wait lists and we don’t have agreements with ‘preferred’ pharmaceutic companies meaning we can swap and change for more affordable medication regimes or try new things.
IVF Cost & Financial Support
Often it’s what you don’t pay for at Demeter Fertility that makes the difference. IVF and ICSI are eligible for signifcant rebates and includes everything related to treatment including ultrasounds, blood tests, standard medications, consultations and 24/7 support from Demeter Fertility monitoring staff The same rebate applies to all Medicare-eligable patients at all Australian IVF clinics, your rebate will not change depending on the clinic you attend.
Demeter Fertility aims to decrease the financial aspect of treatment for our patients as much as possible by:
- Structuring fees so patients get maximum Medicare rebates
- Providing options for egg collection under local anaesthetic to avoid external hospital and anaesthetic costs
- Including your egg collection and embryo transfer as part of your total fee, not charged separately
- Not charging any extra costs for freezing eggs, sperm or embryos during your treatment cycles.
Demeter Fertility has also partnered with SuperCare and TLC Medical Credit if additional financial support is required.
Exact out-of-pocket expenses are dependant on your personal/family Medicare Safety Net Limits and your choice of specialist.
FAQs
Your cycle fee will includes everything from Day 1 of your cycle if done through our clinic;
- All blood tests
- Access to PBS medication (reduced costs)
- All ultrasounds (in clinic, ultrasounds organised at external clinics may come at a fee charged by that clinic)
- All doctors consults
- All nursing and donor consults
- Egg Collection and Embryo transfers (not extra fees charged by our clinic or doctor for the surgery. If you choose to undergo a general anaesthetic the hospital and anaesthetist may charge an additional fee)
- All freezing of excess gametes (all sperm, eggs and embryos not used or transferred in this cycle)
- One free year of storage for all frozen gametes
- Coordination of your treatment cycle amongst all associated parties
At Demeter Fertility, we don’t compromise on your fertility care. We offer you holistic, evidence-based care to help you have a baby.
Excellent care doesn’t have to mean exorbitant fees, though.
Demeter Fertility is not a bulk billing clinic but we have thought carefully about our cost structure to ensure you only pay for what you really need. That includes doing egg collection under local anaesthetic in our clinic, saving you the costs involved with hospital day surgery.
Yes, if your GP refers you for IVF, you may be able to claim a Medicare rebate to help with the costs. Once you’ve paid a certain amount in overall medical expenses each calendar year, you may then qualify for the Medicare Safety Net. That means you can receive higher rebates to reduce the costs of care.
However, even with Medicare and private health insurance, you are likely to face some out-of-pocket costs for fertility care. These costs vary considerably between clinics and between patients. At Demeter Fertility, we do everything we can to reduce your costs, ensuring you only pay for the care you absolutely need.
One round of IVF (an IVF cycle) involves the treatment involved from day 1 of your period to your pregnancy test. That may include medication, ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, sperm collection, fertilisation, embryo development and embryo transfer.
While each patient is different, an IVF cycle at Demeter Fertility usually costs around $8,900–$9,500.
You may receive a Medicare rebate of $3,000–$6,000.
Medicare does not cover the costs of hospital admissions or day surgery treatment. That’s why we do our best to help you avoid those by conducting egg collection and embryo transfers under local anaesthetic in our clinic.
Medicare does not cover things like testicular biopsy, some medications or the costs of cryostorage.
Please talk to us about any cost concerns. We provide transparent information about pricing so there are no unpleasant surprises.
Yes, depending on your fund, you may be able to access your superannuation to pay for IVF treatment. This is known as compassionate release of super. In fact, fertility treatment is one of the most common reasons for early access to super.
You may wish to consult a financial advisor to ensure you understand the implications of your decision.
Health insurance does not directly cover any IVF treatment. It may cover hospital-based care and some anaesthetic procedures. In most cases, though, you still face significant out-of-pocket costs for hospital-based care.
We’ve designed our care pathway to maximise cost-efficiency. That’s why we don’t send you to hospital for egg collection or embryo transfers. We provide these services in our clinic using local anaesthetic. That avoids the need to use your health insurance, saving you a considerable amount of money over the course of your care.