Couples struggling with infertility are no strangers to the pain and rollercoaster of emotions that accompany their challenges. In an attempt to address this problem that so many families face, President Trump issued an executive order to expand access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and soon his administration will make policy recommendations for its implementation. So now is an excellent time to consider not only the serious health concerns related to IVF, but also its astronomical cost in an industry already plagued by price gouging and inefficiency.
A host of health concerns are introduced when eggs are artificially fertilized in a laboratory. For example, children who are conceived through IVF (who, to be clear, have equal dignity and worth to those conceived naturally) are at greater risk for congenital birth defects, and leukemia. Women who undergo IVF face life-threatening complications, including ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, increased cancer risks, and higher rates of ectopic pregnancies.
But adding to these health complications, couples who pursue IVF frequently fork over a total of $60,000 for a successful outcome. A single cycle of IVF ranges from $15,000 to $20,000 and it takes an average of 2.5 cycles of IVF treatments to become pregnant, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In fact, it's not uncommon for couples to spend more than $100,000 on treatment in total. It has been estimated that taxpayers and/or private insurers would be billed nearly $8 billion annually if the Trump administration decides to mandate coverage of IVF.
IVF’s costs can also vary depending on the state, the clinic’s reputation, the specific fertility challenges involved, and supplementary procedures or technologies used. But that’s not all. IVF medications, for example, have risen by a whopping 84 percent in the past ten years, now ranging from $3,500 to $6,000. The price of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection - a type of IVF in which a single sperm is directly injected into an egg - ranges from $800 to $2,500 alone. Couples who choose to rely on Preimplantation Genetic Testing to select the “best” embryos for successful implantation are charged up to $6,000 depending on how many embryos they test. To store frozen embryos not implanted into the womb costs families up to $1,000 a year. It’s easy to imagine that for many families these costs alone could prevent them from being able to afford necessities such as baby food, diapers and childcare if they finally are able to have their baby.
The good news is that healthier and affordable alternatives exist. Restorative Reproductive Medicine (RRM), for example, is a comprehensive approach to solving the root causes of fertility complications. That’s why Solidarity HealthShare, the healthcare sharing ministry that I lead, prioritizes supporting ethical, affordable fertility care that improves outcomes for both parents and children. RRM recognizes that there is a lot that can go wrong within human reproduction systems – metabolically, hormonally and otherwise – and it seeks to address those issues. Already, it has helped thousands of previously infertile couples have children.
RRM is around 20 percent less expensive than IVF, less invasive and more customizable. RRM also has a preterm birth rate that’s half the U.S. average, which sits at an all-time high of 10.4 percent, and costs parents an additional $50,000 per infant born premature. IVF, on the other hand, comes with a rate nearly double the national average, giving parents yet another reason to reject IVF and choose RRM.
As a nation we should direct our resources towards health solutions that respect patients’ physical wellbeing, personal convictions, and pocketbooks.
Chris Faddis is president of Solidarity HealthShare, a health care sharing ministry guided by the moral teachings of the Catholic Church that negotiates directly with providers to ensure delivery of high-quality and affordable, life-affirming health care for the more than 46,000 members it has served since 2016.
