Blog

I tried avoiding the high costs of IVF for as long as possible. Instead, I tried a less expensive fertility treatment.

Within a year, I spent thousands on failed attempts, acupuncture, and supplements — not to mention the dozens of hourlong subway rides to and from appointments.

That was all before I learned that New York State offers public assistance for IVF and other fertility treatments.

At first, I self-funded my fertility treatments

I started trying to get pregnant in the summer of 2023. I don’t have a partner, and I didn’t want to ask a friend to donate sperm, so I knew I’d need fertility treatments, like IVF or IUI. I’d be paying out of pocket because I buy health insurance through the healthcare marketplace, and the plan I was on did not include fertility.

The process started with fertility testing and screenings. I paid about $1,000 out of pocket for these.

When I got the go-ahead that my body was healthy, I decided to try intrauterine insemination (IUI). It’s a less invasive procedure that costs about $2,200 in my area — which is significantly cheaper than a complete IVF cycle in the US, which can cost anywhere from $18,000 to $30,000.

IUI has significantly lower success rates, but I felt OK with gambling $2,200 to potentially avoid spending much more on IVF.

Instead of getting pregnant, I developed cysts, a common side effect of the medication I was on to stimulate ovulation. I didn’t try again right away and focused instead on improving my egg quality through acupuncture and supplements, which several friends suggested based on their experiences.

Over the next year, I spent about $4,300 on three IUIs. After my fourth failed attempt, I decided it was time to try IVF.

I eventually gave in to IVF

The day before starting medications for IVF, the charges hit my credit card: $24,200 to cover the procedure, plus $5,658.92 in medications. If it all went according to plan, I’d later pay around $7,000, plus the cost of more medications, for an embryo transfer.

There are many approaches to IVF. My doctor recommended I start with seven days of shots. On the eighth day, I went in for my first monitoring appointment to see how my body was responding to the medication. I felt excited. The doctor came in smiling. Then, she looked at the number of follicles in my uterus. Her face dropped. I had two follicles maturing. My usual count had been eight to 10, according to test results.

My mind went blank and also raced, albeit in slow motion. How could I have two, after all these hormone shots? Was it even worth attempting an egg extraction if we’d get at most two eggs? I thought I’d never have children. I was in shock.

Before leaving the room, the doctor suggested we cancel the cycle and said the finance office would refund me for the procedure. I don’t know if this happens often, but I appreciated and accepted her offer.

Finding the right doctor

I left the appointment in a complete fog. The clinic’s office is in Midtown, above Times Square. I started walking south. I texted my acupuncturist because she felt like a teammate in all of this. She said to come in, so I walked there — 40 blocks.

I felt hopeless. As she consoled me, she encouraged me to call one more doctor at Weill Cornell.

That afternoon, I called to make an initial appointment. The receptionist said it would be $750. I told her what I’ve already been through, and she then asked if I make less than $200,000 a year. I did.

She suggested I apply for a state fertility grant — something I didn’t even know existed.

New York State Fertility Assistance

Through Weill Cornell, I found out that New York State offers a grant for fertility treatments. It’s available at six clinics. There are criteria, including household income of less than $200,000, having insurance that does not cover fertility treatments, and living in the state of New York. The amount of support is based on your previous year’s income.

I learned about the grant in early October. It took legwork to get everything in order, but I finally got the grant, which would share the costs of IVF.

In mid-November, I started my first full cycle with my new doctor. Including medication and embryo transfer, it cost me about $7,500 — not including the cost of sperm.

The cycle worked. About nine months later, I had a healthy baby girl. Whether the success was luck, my lower stress levels, or my new doctor’s expertise, I don’t know.

But I know that if I choose to attempt to have another child, I will try to do so at the same clinic by applying to the same grant. I only wish I’d known about the public grant first instead of avoiding IVF for so long.