Financial Matters
Fertility Cost Warranty Program: Program Terms and Conditions

Program Eligibility
(See also our Fee for Service Program)

In order to be eligible for the Fertility Cost Warranty Program, a couple needs to meet all the requirements of our regular fee for service IVF program. In addition, the female partner must be 38 years of age or younger at the time of enrollment and have sufficient ovarian reserve if she wishes to use her own eggs (it is expected that the first attempt will be conducted within 3-6 weeks of that time); if she is to use donor eggs, she needs to be less than 51 years of age at the time of enrollment (patients aged 45-50 must have clearance from a perinatologist prior to initiating pre-screening. There are no exceptions.). The male partner must have a minimum of 500,000 motile sperm in his semen (though a low sperm count amendment is available at an additional cost). The couple must be acceptant of cryopreservation and agree to our embryo transfer guidelines. Patients under the age of 35 are eligible for our Single Embryo Transfer (SET) for an additional cost.

As for our Regular IVF Program, the uterine cavity must be normal and the ability to insert a catheter to transfer the embryos must be demonstrated (sonohysterogram and trial transfer).

Patients with one previous tubal pregnancy in conjunction with tubal disease or two previous tubal pregnancies irrespective of the appearance of the tubes will need to undergo a proximal tubal ligation (couples are encouraged to talk to us prior to committing to the procedure) prior to IVF to be eligible for the program this approach is strongly recommended to those patients proceeding with IVF on a fee for service basis. The costs associated with tubal ligation are not included in the program fee.

In all cases, we will not proceed with surgical egg aspiration unless a patient younger than 35 has at least 4 follicles between 12 and 18mm mean diameter at the time of HCG injection. At 35 and older, we require that she have at least 5 such follicles. These numbers are predicated on our desire to have at least 3 mature eggs in order to justify the whole process.

Program Terms

We have partially or fully refundable programs. The refundable portion of the Program fee will be held in the couple's Transition Account. Upon confirmation of a viable pregnancy, RMIA will draw the entire refundable portion 60-90 days following egg retrieval. If, after up to 3 completed IVF cycles no pregnancy has resulted (and all available embryos have been transferred), the refundable portion will be returned to the couple. After each completed IVF cycle, the couple and physician meet and determine together the appropriateness of proceeding with a repeat attempt. In other words, both RMIA and the couple retain the right to terminate the Program at any time (again, following the transfer of all available embryos) for any reason without any penalty. See below.

The program usually takes no longer than 9 months and must be completed within 12 months. As indicated earlier, each "IVF" cycle corresponds to an ovarian stimulation treatment followed by the surgical aspiration of the eggs, their fertilization in the embryology lab followed by the transfer of all fertilized eggs or embryos (if any). If pregnancy is not achieved, the couple will meet with the physician to discuss a "frozen" embryo transfer (if applicable), or a repeat IVF cycle (after all frozen embryos if any, have been transferred).

The Program does not cover the cost of procedures not performed at RMIA facilities or contracted services. Such additional costs may include but are not limited to hospital and physician fees associated with x-rays, surgery required to evaluate or treat the uterus, complications resulting from treatment or pregnancy. Also excluded from the Program are the costs of fertility drugs as well as that of the monitoring of the patient's response to ovarian stimulation (both often covered by insurance companies).