Cost of Injectable Medications for IUI? Take IVF route instead of IUI?

[Trying36]

We just had our first round of IUI done 2 wks ago (I go in for a preg test tomorrow but chances are slim (<10%) according to my doc due to a low sample size from my hubby - a good sample is 5million and he had only 2mill. We tried a few days of clomid but it thinned out my uterine wall so doc stopped me from taking it and we started on injectables before the IUI. I just got my bill and my mouth dropped! $497 for the meds alone! Now, looking back, I wish I had more guidance on the cost from my doc office and I am partly to blame for not asking & getting a quote first, but all we kept hearing was how we have "great" coverage with our insurance so we didn't seem to sweat the cost. I called the pharmacy today and they actually told me our coverage was great too because the rate of the injectables without insurance would be close to $5,000, so technically we are only paying a little less than 10%. Do couples with no insurance actually pay around $5K for just the injectables??!! This seems so high to me.

I just want to see if anyone else was in the same boat and if the injectables are usually this high? I just don't think we an afford $600-1000 (after another course IUI, injectables & copays) each month if it doesn't work (we are on one income right now). Should we just turn right to IVF since there is a greater % of getting pregnant? That way I won't feel we are wasting money if it doesn't work with IUI? Any suggestions and advice would be so helpful!

[mwinder]

Ivf is 15000 thousand dollars

[Anni88]

You guys are lucky!! I've Been trying to get pregnant for two years till now and I went to 3 doctors they did I surgeries on me for no reason and spent thousands of dollars we are loosing our money .and finally I found doctor Wilcox he is amazing he found out there is nothing wrong with me and I don't need no surgeries but I still didn't get pregnant ! I'm going to IUI now! I was shocked !! before I did any thing the doc just priscriped me the IUI med and it cost  $1500.00 and I don't have insurance and the IUI it self is gonna cost about $4000  or more ! And I don't know if its gonna work they told  I have 85% because I'm only 25 years old and my tubes are opened and I ovulate normaly ! God I wait every single month to get pregnant I'm getting so desperate and if it didn't work this time I'm gonna stop the whole treatment thing and let it to God . Wish All of you good luck and less cost

[samzia]

we are trying to start the IUI or IVF treatment and unable to get the insurance.
can any  one tell us which company covers the insurance for IUI or IVF anything that helps. please my wife is not working and I am working as a part timer in retail business
thanks have a GOOD DAY.
APPRECIATE UR RESPONSE THANKS

[JrhaysaEm]

What insurgence do u hv???

[Trying36]

Thank you all for your advice and comments. I will check with my RE regarding getting meds from the UK. Our insurance carrier told us to call them first before our RE prescribes a certain brand b/c they can vary and they can compare and look for the cheapest before we move forward.
Luckily, the IUI was covered. Our insurance covers 90% so we only pay 10% out of pocket. So if we end up going with the IVF, they estimated approx. $600-800. Not bad at all. I feel for you all who have to pay out of pocket. My surprise was with the medications only. We expected around $100-200...not $500. Obviously we are affording it, but we just moved to the east coast and I am still searching for a new job in my field so our budget is tight right now. Of course it is priceless if we can conceive, re AnnieBrooks comment. It was just a mere shock to us and so we wanted to know if others fell in our same boat. We also just found out that the meds should also carry us through two more courses of IUI...we thought we would have to pay $500 for EACH cycle of meds alone. We are still waiting on my husband's 3rd seman analysis to determine if we are the right candidates for a second course of IUI, or if we should go directly to the IVF approach. We had three varying opinions and now it turns out that it may be in our best interest to go directly to IVF depending on this coming analysis. Thank you all again!

[tiadreams]

Great advice on getting the drugs from the UK. Thank you.

[tiadreams]

Hi, I noticed your comment re the cost of injectable meds/IVF's etc. I failed my first IVF and decided it would be my last. It is too costly and too emotionally draining. Out of 12 eggs retrieved I had 0 make it to day 5 blasts, so no transfer. My BF and I are paying for everything out of pocket. We have a follow-up appt with the doc in 3 days but I already know I don't want to do another IVF with my own eggs. I have a friend who conceived twins at 43 with injectable meds/IUI alone. I may attempt this route. Besides your IVF's did you try any other ART's? I am not quite ready to accept donor eggs but this is looking like the answer. I agree with your thoughts on the $. At what point does it just become out of the question financially. We are carefully planning where our dollars go from now on. Having insurance that covers fertility treatments is a dream...for some. Woule love to hear back from you. I'm in OR also. Cheers.

[AnnieBrooke]

If you are concerned about the cost of injectables, wait until you see the IVF costs that aren't covered by insurance.  All of my IVF tries were entirely out of pocket, and I think they came out at around twenty to twenty-five thousand dollars a time.  It's very expensive.  But then, so is raising a child ($250 thousand until age 18, I've heard).  If you are having trouble affording two rounds of IUI, what was going to pay for the costs of a child?  It was a sad day for me when our last IVF try failed, partly because I had to come to terms with the question of money overall, and what might have happened financially if we had succeeded.

[Azwoman]

And another thing... if this is a male factor, which is sounds like it is, I would think IVF would be recommended. Only your RE would be able to recommend IVF, otherwise IUI's have worked for so many women in their 30's.

[Azwoman]

I have no fertility coverage on my insurance and it has been hard paying for this stuff out of pocket but I have had to take a second job to pay for my IUI's. My RE uses on online pharmacy out of the UK called IVFMEDS... unbelievable how much cheaper injectables are, and they sell Chlomid too. They are very legit and their customer service has been good too.  They sell almost everything. The UK and Europe put caps on the price of fertility meds, whereas the US doesn't and it is totally unafforable here. Even Walgreens' program for reduced cost fertility meds was way too much, and online FreedomPharmacy wasn't much cheaper.
I would really use this website but I would avoid any pharmacy out of India or other parts of the world as I've heard scary stories. Your RE will need to fax a prescription to IVFMEDS-they are familiar with many RE's here so your doc may already be on file with them. Good luck.