Is Egg Freezing Covered by Insurance? [What You Need To Know]
Egg freezing is generally not fully covered by insurance, but some providers will cover certain parts of the procedure. Therefore, if you are interested in freezing your eggs, we recommend speaking with your insurance provider first to learn what parts of the process may be covered.
Egg freezing is an emotional and financial investment that takes a lot of time, so it’s important you are thoroughly prepared for it. Future Family is here to help. Let’s walk through the details of egg freezing, insurance coverage for egg freezing, and the options available.
What Is Egg Freezing?
Egg freezing is a process in which a woman’s eggs are extracted, frozen, and stored for later use. The goal is to preserve the woman’s ability to get pregnant in the future.
Why Freeze Your Eggs?
Egg freezing allows women the autonomy to delay having children until they are ready.
As female fertility begins to decline around age 35, egg freezing can increase your chances of a successful pregnancy later in life.
When Should You Freeze Your Eggs?
The timing for freezing your eggs does matter. According to The American Society of Reproductive Medicine, the optimal time to freeze your eggs is in your 20s and early 30s. This ensures your eggs are viable and that you have the best chance of a successful pregnancy and birth in the future.
How Much Does It Cost to Retrieve and Freeze Eggs?
The egg freezing process generally costs between $15,000 to $20,000 for one cycle. One cycle of egg freezing takes about four to six weeks.
This cost range typically includes:
- Initial tests
- Doctor visits
- Medication and injections
- Vitrification (a rapid cooling technique to freeze the eggs)
- Egg retrieval surgery
The $15,000 to $20,000 range does not include the annual egg storage fees, which starts around $600 per year.
Does Insurance Cover Freezing Eggs?
Since egg freezing is generally not considered a medical necessity in most cases, the procedure and treatment are not covered by most insurance plans.
There are some exceptions to this:
- If you have a diagnosed fertility problem or are about to undergo treatments that will limit your fertility in the future (radiation, chemotherapy, etc.), you may receive partial or full coverage for your egg freezing procedure.
- Some employers offer coverage for egg freezing. For instance, if you work in the tech industry, you may be in luck—27 percent of tech companies cover advanced reproductive procedures (including egg freezing), compared to just 14 percent of companies outside of the tech field.
What Is the Success Rate of Egg Freezing?
Keep in mind, freezing your eggs does not guarantee future pregnancy. The success rate of egg freezing has generally proven to be higher in younger women than older women. Women have a lower egg supply as they get older, and thus, younger women are able to freeze more eggs per cycle, increasing their chances of pregnancy.
For example, in one study, each egg retrieved from women under 30 had an 8.67 percent chance of resulting in the birth of a child. For women over 40, the chance is reduced to less than three percent per egg. Therefore, a woman over 40 will need to freeze significantly more eggs than a woman under 30 to increase her chances of achieving pregnancy in her future.
Is Egg Freezing Worth It?
As egg freezing does not always guarantee a successful pregnancy or birth, women may need to go through multiple cycles of egg freezing to achieve their family-building goals. With that said, egg freezing can become a costly endeavor.
Depending on your circumstances, egg freezing can still be well worth the costs. As egg freezing is both equally a financial and personal decision (i.e., will you be ready to be a mother by the time you’re 40?), you should carefully weigh both sides and decide.
Again, the sooner you decide to freeze your eggs, the better chances you’ll have at conceiving later in your life. You may also be more financially stable at a later time to manage the egg freezing costs—according to data from the Census Bureau, women who delay having children end up earning more throughout their careers. Not to mention, there may be viable financial options available to you, which brings us to our next point.
How Do You Finance Egg Freezing?
Financing your egg freezing can be quite overwhelming. Though the initial costs can cause hesitation, rest assured that if having a child is your priority, there are a couple of options for you to consider to help you build your future family:
- Health insurance: Though egg freezing is generally not covered by insurance, it is still well worth reaching out to them to discuss your options. As we noted earlier, depending on your health condition and employer, you may qualify for a certain amount of coverage.
- Loans: Though most insurance does not cover freezing eggs, there are fertility clinics that offer financing options. For example, Future Family offers fertility treatment loans to help pay for your fertility care. Our fertility finance experts price out your custom treatment plan into a simple monthly payment.
Questions to Ask Your Insurance Company
It can feel daunting speaking to your insurance company about your coverage. Here are four useful questions to help you get started on the right foot:
- What exactly do my benefits cover for egg freezing (tests, treatments, and/or procedures)?
- Do I need a referral for my reproductive procedure? May I use the fertility clinic of my choice?
- What is my annual or lifetime maximum benefit for egg freezing treatment and procedure?
- Is there an age limit for my treatment and procedure?
Plan Your Future with Future Family
Our goal is to remove the barriers of cost with egg freezing. Future Family’s egg freezing plans begin at $150 a month with rates as low as 0% APR, and are customized based on your needs. See if you prequalify today. Applicants can be pre-approved in 90 seconds, and this process does not impact your credit score.
We look forward to helping you on your journey.