While Medicare covers most Monash IVF services, the fees associated with providing Assisted Reproductive Technologies can be confusing. To help you understand our fee structure, we have provided answers below to some of the common questions we are asked about our fees:
How much of the Monash IVF fee is covered by Medicare?
Most items within the Monash IVF fee have a Medicare rebate, which means that Medicare will pay part of the cost of your treatment cycle. The Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN) provides an additional rebate for Australian families and singles who incur out-of-pocket costs for out of hospital services. Medicare have put a maximum limit on the amount of benefits that will be paid for IVF related services in 2010. Medicare have called this the "Extended Medicare Safety Net benefit cap". The actual rebate from the Safety Net is difficult to estimate, as each IVF treatment is individually tailored to suit each patient and the amount of the Safety Net rebate also depends on whether you have reached the Safety net threshold for that calendar year.
Even though each person has different circumstances, the Safety Net can significantly reduce your out of pocket costs. Depending on the type of treatment and whether the Safety Net threshold has been reached, the final out-of-pocket cost for a patient could be as low as $2454 for each subsequent standard stimulated IVF cycle in a calendar year.
For more information on the Extended Medicare Safety Net benefit cap and the current Safety Net threshold please contact Medicare on 132011 or refer to the Medicare website (www.medicareaustralia.gov.au) where you will find this explained in detail.
The figures below are an estimate of your out of pocket costs after you have claimed Medicare rebates and assuming you have reached the safety net threshold and have private health insurance:
| IVF TREATMENT |
Patient Out of Pocket Costs after Safety Net*
|
| Initial Stimulated Cycle |
$3,005
|
| Initial Stimulated Cycle plus ICSI |
$3,169 |
| Subsequent Stimulated Cycle |
$2,454 |
| Subsequent Stimulated Cycle with ICSI |
$2,618 |
| Frozen Embryo Transfer |
$1,137
|
| Artificial Insemination |
$1,542 |
* Note: The Medicare Safety Net Rebate applies once a qualifying patient has reached their safety net threshold. The figure quoted above is indicative only, as it is difficult for Monash IVF Pty Ltd to determine when a patient will reach their threshold.
The prices are indicative and may be varied at any time without notice.
Please ask your clinic for exact costs relating to your treatment cycle as prices vary at some sites and are subject to change.
What do the Monash IVF fees include?
Our fees cover all of the services provided by Monash IVF and your Monash IVF Specialist during your treatment cycle:
- Planning and management of your cycle by your Monash IVF Specialist Clinician and Nurse Coordinator if you have a current referral from your GP or specialist
- All blood tests during your cycle*
- All ultrasound scans during your cycle*
- Consultations with your Monash IVF counsellor
- Standard Medicare covered IVF drugs
- The Fertility Specialist’s participation in your egg collection and embryo transfer if you do not have private health insurance
- All embryology / scientist and laboratory services
- Extended embryo culture to blastocyst stage where required
- Embryo freeze fee and first 6 months of storage for excess embryos (embryo storage costs are incurred after the first 6 months and billed in 6 monthly increments in advance)
* Your cycle is deemed to start on either the first day of your period or the date your injections or HRT commences and ending not more than 30 days later.
NB: Additional treatments such as "Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis" (PGD) will be added to your fee and the costs advised to you prior to commencement of your cycle
What isn't included in the Monash IVF fee?
Our fees cover services provided by Monash IVF within your treatment cycle, however there are additional fees charged by Monash IVF and other providers that are not covered by our fee:
- Initial investigations, tests and consultations performed by your clinician prior to you commencing your IVF cycle
- Screening blood tests. You and your partner will need to have screening blood tests prior to commencing your first cycle with follow up tests each two years.
- Pre-IVF blood tests and ultrasound scans
- Additional drugs. Your treatment team may prescribe additional drugs during the course of your cycle to maximise your chance of achieving a pregnancy
- Day surgery and anaesthetist fees. If you have private health insurance, you may be covered for these costs. You should contact the hospital for your egg collection and embryo transfer costs and any excess or co-payments that may be required
Do I need to have Private Health Insurance?
No, private health insurance is not necessary to have treatment with Monash IVF. However, private health insurance may contribute towards the cost of any hospital day surgery fees, and the cost of the Fertility Specialists participation in your egg collection and embryo transfer.
If you don't have private health insurance you should contact the hospital for an estimate of these costs.
NB: Private Health Insurance will also help cover the costs relating to childbirth.
When are the fees due?
Broadly, for a stimulated cycle, your fees are paid in two installments - the initial patient instalment must be paid when you collect your medications and the final patient instalment must be paid before your egg collection. Below is a timeline of when fees are due and when you become eligible for Medicare rebates:
- Nurse interview and collection of drugs your cycle pre-payment is due
- Balance of payment is due two days before the day of egg retrieval
- Once the full payment is received by Monash IVF you will be issued with an invoice/receipt of your completed cycle. You can take this to Medicare to claim your Medicare and Safety Net rebates if you are eligible.