Donor Egg IVF Cost in the US – Overview
Tens of thousands of women across the US suffer from infertility. IVF has been the leading treatment for infertility for years now. However, those who wish to undergo IVF treatment often find the cost of donor eggs exorbitant.
Donor eggs are expensive but not typically many times more than the average American household’s annual disposable income.
Combine it with the fact that most recipients who are seeking donor eggs have already spent thousands of dollars on failed IVF cycles using their eggs. The lack of health insurance coverage can increase the overall financial burden of IVF with donor eggs.
To help you make the right decision, we’ve listed details and hidden charges that you might not be aware of normally.
What is the use of donor eggs in IVF
Donor egg IVF is a form of fertility treatment that is like a conventional IVF treatment but with one huge difference: the recipient getting pregnant uses another woman’s eggs.
Donor eggs are used for various reasons, such as the recipient being an older woman, the recipient having low ovarian reserves, gay men and single men using surrogates, cancer survivors who failed to freeze their eggs, and those who have failed multiple IVF cycles.
Are there different types of donor eggs in IVF
Yes, several different types of donor eggs are used in IVF treatment. These are usually fresh or frozen and classified as non-anonymous, anonymous, or known.
Frozen donor eggs are kept secure in a frozen state using liquid nitrogen and are used after proper thawing. Recipients can get frozen donor eggs from stand-alone egg banks or fertility treatment centers running individual donor egg programs.
Fresh eggs, on the other hand, are not frozen. The donor undergoes an egg retrieval procedure after being vetted and confirmed by the recipient’s parents.
Fresh eggs are normally bought directly from a fertility center’s donor egg program or directly sourced from egg donor agencies.
Non-anonymous eggs are sourced from donors who agree to disclose their identities to the recipients but not necessarily to the resulting child.
Anonymous eggs are retrieved from donors who do not wish their real identities to be disclosed to the recipient parents and their resulting child.
Known egg donors are normally known by the recipient, such as friends or family members.
Irrespective of whether the donor egg is anonymous or non-anonymous, the recipient is usually given access to the donor’s basic demography, education, ethnicity, childhood pictures, and other similar information.
Where can you buy donor eggs for IVF?
There are three main sources where a recipient can buy donor eggs directly from:
1 – Fertility Clinics
Most fertility clinics have their donor egg program and offer fresh and frozen donor eggs.
2 – Donor Egg Banks
Donor egg banks sell frozen donor eggs that are transported directly to fertility clinics for treatment.
3 – Donor Egg Agencies
Donor egg agencies work similarly to donor egg banks and are not in collaboration with a particular fertility clinic. However, donor egg agencies usually collaborate for fresh donor egg cycles through a country-wide network of egg donors.
How much does a donor egg cost?
Fresh donor eggs usually cost twice the price of frozen donor eggs. The cost of fresh donor eggs can be in tens of thousands of dollars, with the average donor egg costing around US$ 25,000.
Additional fees are combined with this cost, including hormone shots, bloodwork, ultrasounds, travel fees for donors, legal fees, doctor’s visits, etc.
The cost does not necessarily multiply if only a single IVF cycle is required; it depends on the specific circumstances and treatments required. Adding all the general costs, the total cost of a donor egg for IVF treatment can run up from $10,000 to $40,000.
Although frozen eggs are less expensive, they are still considerably costly. The frozen eggs come at a slightly lower rate because you only need to pay for the cost of transporting the eggs to the fertility clinics and the costs associated with the IVF treatment.
Are donor eggs covered by insurance?
Coverage for donor eggs under health insurance policies varies; some may cover parts of the IVF process, but donor egg costs are often not covered. However, some insurance providers may offer to cover the IVF cycle cost if your insurance policy explicitly covers IVF treatment.
It is strongly advised that you call and talk with your health insurance provider to confirm what treatment costs are covered under your policy.
Conclusion
Although costly, egg donation has helped women struggling with fertility challenges to know the joy of having their own baby. Donor egg IVF treatment helps thousands of women get successfully pregnant in the US.
IVF Grants in the U.S.
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