IVF costs put the fertility treatment out of reach for many Americans: “I don’t think it’s fair”

Almost every dollar Mary Delgado had was betting on a chance to IVF. Three years ago, while trying to conceive a second child with her longtime partner, Joaquin Rodriguez, Delgado, who is now 35, discovered she had severe endometriosis, a common cause of infertility.

“I was broke,” Delgado said. “To know that I will never get pregnant naturally again. The doctor told me that the only solution for you is IVF. And I knew IVF was expensive.”

In the US, just one round of IVF – or in vitro fertilization – costs an average of $20,000, according to fertility IQ, a platform for patient education. It usually takes three IVF cycles for a woman to have a baby, and insurance doesn’t always cover it — putting it out of reach for many Americans and leaving others with a heavy financial burden.

Delgado relied on Medicaid after leaving her job to care for her 10-year-old son, who has a rare genetic disease. She was aware that Medicaid would not cover in vitro fertilization and said all that went through her head “was the dollar sign.”

“I don’t think it’s fair, because they don’t want poor people to reproduce,” Delgado said.

In most states, Medicaid does not cover any fertility treatment costs. However, in New York, where Delgado lives, Medicaid covers some of the medications needed for IVF.

Delgado found a clinic four hours away that offered a discount and payment plan. She took out a $7,000 loan from the clinic, which she had to pay back in two years. She also spent approximately $3,000 on medication and another $2,000 on genetic testing. She said she spent $14,000 in total.

For Delgado and her partner, a round of IVF was money well spent. Their daughter, Emiliana, is now 14 months old and her $7,000 IVF loan has been paid off.

“She was definitely worth it. She was definitely worth every penny,” Delgado said. “She came to mend my broken heart. She really came because I was so scared that I would never, ever get pregnant.”

Delgado recently started a job that offers her fertility insurance.

The push for broader IVF coverage

Nationwide, 45% of large companies offered IVF coverage last year, up from just 27% in 2020.

Illinois Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, who conceived her own two daughters with in vitro fertilization, is fighting to approve legislation this would give Americans even more fertility benefits and lower costs.

“Why would we stop Americans from realizing their dream of holding their own baby in their arms?” Duckworth said.

So far, 22 states plus Washington, D.C., have passed fertility insurance laws, according to Resolve, the National Infertility Association, which is a nonprofit organization. Fifteen of the state laws include IVF coverage requirements and 18 cover fertility preservation, which includes saving a person’s eggs or sperm from infertility caused by chemotherapy, radiation or other medical treatment,

Asima Ahmad, co-founder of Carrot Fertility, said even with these laws, it doesn’t mean everyone in those states will have coverage. “Sometimes it’s partial, sometimes it’s not. There’s still a big gap,” Ahmad said.

His company is trying to bridge the gap by helping more than 1,000 employers around the world provide fertility benefits, including coverage for IVF and fertility preservation, and postpartum and menopause care.

Ahmad believes the problem is that people often view fertility treatment as an elective procedure. “Infertility is a disease. And some people need to have fertility treatment to expand their family. There is no other way to do it,” she said.

If a person works for a company that doesn’t offer fertility benefits, Ahmad suggests speaking directly to the HR team. She said it could be a catalyst to bring benefits to the company.

Delgado said everyone deserves a chance – “no matter who you are, no matter your race, no matter your economic situation.”