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Trying To Conceive

Cost of Infertility

I want to start off saying that we are lucky. My work-provided insurance does not exclude infertility doctor appointments or medicines.

But I want to remember what we are going through in order to make our future baby, so I thought I’d do a quick rundown of cycle costs. At the beginning of the year, I set aside $1200 pre-tax to be taken out of my bi-weekly paychecks for a FSA. I was planning that we’d either use it for IF or child birth as well as the usual stuff like dentist & regular doctor appts.

Our copay for appointments {of any length or kind from U/S to meeting with Dr P} is $50. This 19th cycle I’ve been three times {baseline US, follow up with Dr P & today’s US}. I was planning that they’d be a second monitoring appt but I’ve grown enough follicles quick enough to not warrant extra days. So total of $150 {the injectibles class was $55 so I guess actual total is $205}.

I also have a copay for medicines but Medco is kinda tricky. It’s cool with normal copays at regular pharmacy twice per medicine. So first two times I picked up Ovidrel {medicated cycles 2 & 3 bc got it free from friend 1st time- thanks N}, it had a $50 copay. This time I had to order it straight from Medco {at $82} to avoid it jumping to $100 copay from CVS. I ordered the second one needed for this cycle from a local specialty pharmacy & it cost $50. {total $132 for cycle 4}

Femara {10 tiny pills} is $20 at normal pharmacy. I got it twice at CVS for $20 then filled it last time while I was working in Forest City & it was also $20. This time from Medco shipped to my door, it was $10. {total cycle 4 $10}

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My progesterone supps {15 bullet shaped things} have to be from a specialty pharmacy. The first time I used them {medicated cycle 2}, I bought them from local BR Pharmacy & they were $45. I heard they were cheaper elsewhere, so I ordered them from the office recommended online pharmacy for cycle 3. They were $30 & I still have some of these left. A friend that moved away had some left from her recently failed cycle so she gave those to me {thanks A}, so I’m not having to pay anything for this medicine this cycle. {cycle 4 $0}

I found another local specialty pharmacy for the Follistim last Friday afternoon. They gave me the Follistim pen, medicine, needles, a Sharps container, band-aids & alcohol wipes, & the pen container for it all for $100. I thought my highest copay was $50 but since it’s just used for infertility this might explain the higher copay. {cycle 4 $100}

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Another awesome friend had some of the Antagon leftover from her IF cycles. She’s now pregnant & they are close to expiring so she passed them on to me {thanks M}. I found out today that I will only need one of these which usually cost $83. {cycle 4 total $0}

That means my total medicine cost of $242 this cycle & full cost with appts is $447. {Antagon not pictured}
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We used up the last of the $1200 last Friday so I’ve paid $100 out of pocket this week. Hopefully we won’t have further medicate cycles, but if we do, they will also be paid out of pocket {even more motivation for this one to be the one that WORKS!}.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention emotion costs {stress, loneliness, 10 pounds of emotional eating} as well as social costs. That’s probably another post for another time but I will say this. I’m a social person. That I left my really good friend’s 30th b-day party early to have TI & that cycle didn’t work. I hate that. That we’re no longer going to OIB over this July 4th weekend {first time not being there since I was in elementary school} so we can stay home & do shots & have sex; that sucks.

Bottom line: I’m hoping these costs are more than worth it in the long run.

10 replies on “Cost of Infertility”

I’m glad to hear you have insurance coverage, so many don’t. I couldnt have done it all without. I never figured the actual total spent, think it would scare me esp with the one IVF try. But really, the emotional costs are the worst. That part sticks with you. Even now with a 3 yr old.

I can only imagine Mic & I hope we don’t have to know. I’m sorry that the emotional loss sticks with you even today ~ hope J & the new one help remove some of those costs more & more each day.

*hugs* I can’t imagine how frustrating that must be to miss out on such exciting events, but it will be worth it. I will pray that this cycle works for you because of your physical AND most ESPECIALLY the emotional costs.

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