Most patients are looking for any way to make fertility treatment less expensive or at least to make the process of paying for their treatment more manageable. Berry and Alto Pharmacy teamed up to curate resources where you might find some financial relief and discounts for your fertility treatment.
1. Manufacturer Assistance Programs, Grants, and Scholarships for Medications
Fertility medications contribute a substantial amount to the overall cost of treatment. Many manufacturers of fertility medications offer a variety of financial assistance opportunities to offset the cost of medications:
EMD Serono Fertility savings program: have to qualify as a self-pay, income-eligible patient, but the savings can be very substantial. Used for Gonal-f, Cetrotide, and Ovidrel.
Ferring Pharmaceuticals patient assistance programs: have some discounts for patients undergoing egg freezing, for cancer patients, and those in the military. Used for Menopur, Endometrin, Fyremadel, and Novarel.
The Omnitrope Savings Program: co-pay savings program to help reduce the out of pocket cost of Omnitrope
The ReUnite Assist program: Reunite has a variety of different financial assistance options based on different qualification criteria (ie. self-pay, income-based, military members, cancer patients). Used for Pregnyl, Follistim, and Ganirelix.
Crinone (Progesterone Gel) Savings program: eligible patients pay $15 and save up to $200 on a Crinone prescription.
GoodRx: a site to shop around for medication discounts. In some cases these can be substantial compared to quotes patients receive from their clinic’s preferred pharmacy.
Additionally, there are scholarship and grant opportunities that help cover a portion of fertility treatment costs. Some are based on income level and demonstrated financial need, while others are designed to support specific groups including members of the LGBTQ+ community. As a starting point, we suggest exploring RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association’s database of scholarships and grants here.
Since last-minute changes in treatment plans and medication dosages happen frequently in fertility treatments, you can potentially save money on your medications by choosing a fertility pharmacy that offers same-day delivery. Same day delivery allows you to only fill the prescriptions you need and avoid over-ordering.
2. Payment Plans and Personal Fertility Loans
Some fertility clinics offer no- or low-interest payment plans for qualifying patients. As you explore your options for fertility clinics, ask about any available financial assistance.
Some clinics offer shared risk or guarantee programs. This typically means that for a fixed cost, you can do a certain number of treatment cycles. If you complete the allotted number of treatment cycles and you have not had success, you can get a full or partial refund depending on the terms of the guarantee.
Other clinics will offer a package program where you can get a discounted cost per cycle if you pay upfront for multiple cycles (often 3 cycles at a time).
There are also companies that provide personal loans specifically for fertility treatments, including support for medication costs, with flexible monthly payment options. Our friends at Alto Pharmacy work with companies like CapexMD, Lending Club, PatientFi, and Sunfish to help make treatment more accessible.
CapexMD offers a variety of loan options to assist with fertility treatments and medication costs. The company sends loan funds directly to your clinic and pharmacy to pay for services.
LendingClub’s loan options include IVF treatments, medications, fertility preservation and donor services. LendingClub sends loan funds directly to your clinic and pharmacy to pay for services.
PatientFi offers financing of up to $50,000 for all fertility-related treatments, including clinical costs, medications, and other related services. Funds are accessed through a digital wallet.
Sunfish offers resources to help with your fertility journey, with loans ranging from $5,000 - $100,000 and low single digit APRs. No application fee on fertility loans for Alto customers.
Keep in mind:
When working with any lender, verify the interest rate and any other fees.
Many of these companies have budgeting tools on their websites so that you can get a sense of what your monthly payments will be before you decide to take out a loan.
3. Medical Tax Deductions
Although it isn’t the most straightforward way to reduce treatment costs, you may be able to get a portion of what you paid back through taxes. Both fertility medications and treatment can sometimes be included in medical tax deductions. Medical tax deductions are only available to those who itemize tax deductions rather than taking the standard deductions. According to TurboTax, “the IRS allows a special deduction for any amount used for medical expenses that is more than 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI).” So depending on how you file your taxes and how much you spend annually on fertility treatment, you may be able to get some of your money back.
The cost of fertility treatment and medications is staggering. Finding ways to save through discount programs or spreading the cost out over monthly payments can make treatment more accessible to people who can’t afford to pay for treatment upfront.
Click here to read the next article in the Alto Pharmacy series: Starting Fertility Treatment? Here's What to Ask Your Insurance Carrier