How do you afford fertility treatments?

Thank you Chanz for all the info! Sjoe, I can see why you say that it is better to have the money saved up before you embark on the treatment. I can just imagine how stressed one must be if you know you have just spent so much moola on "one try"!
My nerves would be totally shot!

Thank you for mentioning the vitamins etc, it helps me to know I am on the right path with what I am currently taking!

I totally agree with you to regards to putting in firm boundaries if any people add more stress to your life. Your family comes first and if anybody interferes they should be avoided. Dealing with infertility is stressful enough any outside stressors that can be controlled should be controlled!

Forgot to add we are on Discovery Classic Priority. there are co-payments for laparascopies on this plan. We are starting gap cover next month which will cover this co-payment after 3 months.

GW and Linda, I completely agree. Any stress, whether it be emotional or whatever or baggage can seriously affect the chances of conceiving.

When we did our IUI in November I was going through some personal stress aswell and I am almost certain that's what caused the IUI to not work coz when we did our IUI to conceive our first son, my mind frame was completely different to our latest IUI.
That's why I don't want to do another IUI until I have completely dealt with that stress. People who don't struggle to conceive don't understand that part, they just think you are being impossible. But there really does come a time when you just have to block the people out who cause stress and focus on your own life.
Right now for me falling pregnant is important to me, my husband and our son. Infertility is something we have to face everyday, the people who cause stress don't live with that realization. They just carry on with their lives.

With our fertility treatments and medical aids- medical aid will cover the vitamins, progesterone, cortisone (all from savings of course) but not the injections or the treatment itself. Our FS only accepts cash for the appointments and then we claim back. The appointments are R500 and then if sonars get done then they claim this from medical aid. Our IUI's were R2900 each, that's just for the insemination on the day (that covers 2 doctors-one that does the insemination and the embryologist who washes the sperm etc). All the appointments to monitor follicle growth etc... come from our pockets. Per IUI we would spend the following from our pockets :
R2900 for the procedure
R500 x 3 appointments (R1500)
R800 (transport coz its a 2 hr drive to our FS) and we would make padkos to save costs LOL
R2500 (injections, clomid) this obviously depends if you need it but I did
A total of R7700
And then some blood tests aren't covered which we have to pay for.
It's alot of money if you consider that this is what you have to come up with over an above your monthly expenses. It's rather unfair that medical aids cover HIV expenses but not infertility (doesn't make sense since HIV you can prevent mostly and infertility is something we are born with).

But I must agree with Jooste. It really is best to rather save enough and a little extra before starting any treatments because still stressing about finances while doing treatment aint ideal.
We have decided to do 2 more IUI's and then move onto IVF if the IUI's dont work since hubby will be 41 this year and time isn't on our side.

Right now I am focusing on losing weight, but also started taking FertilAid for women, Vit B6, omega, inofolic and hubby is on FertilAid for Men. Spent almost R2000 from our med savings just for this months stuff LOL. the things some of us does to just try get that BFP

Goodluck GW. Really hope you get your BFP soon.

Carmen and Jooste: Oh my goodness!! I knew it was expensive, but that is nearly an arm and leg! Especially if you must pay for doctor's consultations out of your own pocket too!

I think it makes sense to at least investigate with a good therapist if you have any unresolved psycological issues because at least most medical aids do pay for psycological sessions.

Thanks so much for all the information ladies!

Hi everyone!
I'm jumping in - sorry

I'm on resolution health and apart from my laparoscopies, none of my treatments were covered. We saved as much as we could and made a promise to not go for treatment unless we have the money saved up. It is stressful enough going through IUI / IVF, without the added burden of debt (especially if the treatment is not successful).

My Clomid cycles were not monitored by my gynie and I therefore only paid for the Clomid (approx: R150 - R400 per month - depending on your dosage). I also did some progesterone testing during those months to see if I did OV. (About R120 per test).

Femara was a lot more expensive (anything from R400 - R700 - depending on the dosage). I was then monitored monthly to see if I did OV and I therefore needed to pay the FS for the consultation and U/s - which was anything from R600 - R1200 per visit. (We also travelled about 350km to see him...we live far away from the nearest FS).

IUI cost us around R4000 - R8000 a try. (Again depending on the medication used and the amount of times the FS wanted to see me to check my follie growth. It also included the lab fees for the sperm preparation).

IVF was around R25 000 - R40 000. (Depending on the amount of drugs you use, the particular lab's fees, as well as whether they are going to do ICSI with your eggies or not).

GIFT/ZIFT is still done sometimes during IVF - and you can then add another R5000 - R8000 for the hospital / clinic fees etc.

GW
Fertility is not covered under MA.
The bloods are covered and paid for by MA.
Clomid not. Some meds - like progesterone the MA will pay for.
Appointments with FS won't be paid, depending on the code you gynae uses, some of the gynae accounts will be paid. Usually paid from the Medical Savings.
This was the case in 2010.
We're paying cash for everything cash, as we're only a hospital plan now.
IUI is not covered under the MA

Hi Chanz,

I do not know anyone in Richards Bay but do know of an excellent lady in Ballitto. If you would like her contact details let me know.