The Fertility Center of Charleston Helps Patients Navigate Fertility Costs

CHARLESTON, S.C. - May 13, 2014 - PRLog -- Some couples want nothing more than to start a family.   When that doesn't happen naturally, many turn to a fertility specialist.   Infertility has a reputation of being costly,  but there are some cost saving options for patients undergoing fertility treatments.   In 2013, the concentrated efforts at The Fertility Center of Charleston and Dr. Stephanie Singleton worked to save patients greater than $60,000 in medication savings with an average savings of $2000.00 per patient for qualifying patients.  This was made possible by through programs such as Compassionate Care and First Steps.

  The Fertility Center of Charleston partners with DesignRx
participating pharmacies to offer the First Steps Program to our
patients.  First Steps is available to self-pay patients needing help
paying for their medications. Patients who qualify based on income or
hardship cases may receive up to  75% off their prescription purchase
price!  Furthermore everyone who applies will receive some level of
discount, with the largest discounts reserved for those who have the
largest financial need.  A tiered approach (25%, 50%, and 75%) makes it
easy for patients to qualify, and easy for patients and health care
providers to understand. Qualified patient discounts are good for up to a
year. Prescriptions eligible for these discounts may be filled at any
DesignRx participating
pharmacy.

The Fertility Center of Charleston has partnered with EMD Serono, Inc. and Fertility LifeLines to increase access to fertility treatment. The Compassionate Care program offers certain EMD Serono fertility medications to eligible patients at a savings of 50-75% off, including Gonal-f® RFF Pens. Eligible patients can use the Compassionate Care Program for multiple cycles within each year.  More information on how to apply an be found at http://www.fertilitycharleston.com/affording-treatment/.

In addition, The Fertility Center of Charlestonhas an IVF Refund Program.   The  IVF Refund Program offers patients a savings of $3,000 and high success rates for every IVF patient less than 38 years of age. Even more reassuring, The Fertility Center of Charleston shares in the cost of treatment for the small percentage of patients receiving two cycles of fertility treatment without success. A refund of $5,000 is provided. If a patient decides to spend that refund toward additional treatments, they increase the chances of success by 20%. One fresh and one frozen cycle with all reproductive endocrinology physician oversight and care included. Medication and anesthesia are not included.

The Fertility Center of Charleston IVF Success Program increases the chance of becoming pregnant by over 30% by providing the patient with four treatment cycles, two fresh embryo cycles and two frozen embryo cycles. The Fertility Center of Charleston has reduced the program fee by 40%, enabling each patient to pay less and receive more opportunities for success. This program is available to every patient who chooses IVF as a treatment option. Medication and anesthesia are not included.

Another option is The Fertility Center of Charleston Single Embryo Program.  The Fertility Center of Charleston offers the Elective Single Embryo Transfer (eSET) Program for couples seeking a cost effective fertility option without the risks associated with multiple births. Patient’s with a good prognosis for success and embryo quality are ideal for the Single Embryo Program. A frozen cycle valued at $3,360 is provided free of cost.

The Fertility Center of Charleston has also partnered with American Healthcare Lending to make the treatment process more affordable. American Healthcare Lending provides loans up to $100,000 with terms of 36-60 months. No collateral required and low monthly payments. This option can be used for a variety of fertility treatment options. Patients can learn more by calling 1-800-625-7412 or calling The Fertility Center of Charleston office at 843-881-7400 and ask for Christa to learn more.

The Fertility Center of Charleston strives to offer the best possible care for our patients.The finance department is always available to answer insurance questions and financing options.  They accept Tricare, BCBS (State), BCBS PPO, Blue Choice, Cigna, UHC, and Aetna. Since infertility may or may not be covered by an insurance company, it is also recommend that patients contact their insurance company to fully understand  benefits and make informed decisions regarding individual treatment plans.

Here are benefit verification guidelines that will help patients through the process of working with their insurance company.  Insurance policies come in two forms. The first is the actual contract, which is a legal document written in very specific language. The second is the summary plan description which provides a general explanation of the plan and benefits. Patients will want to obtain both from employer or insurance company and read through the infertility section.

If you have questions regarding some of the information while reading through the contract, you may call the customer service phone number printed on your insurance card. We recommend that you do the following:
Specifically ask for benefits relating to infertility, obtain the name of customer service representative giving you information, document the date and time of phone call, and request written confirmation of benefits.

Here is another tip:   Most insurance company customer representatives will only answer the question asked. Try to be very specific when asking questions relating to benefits. Sometimes components of a procedure may be covered but not the entire procedure (such as blood work, ultrasounds, etc.)

The heart of The Fertility Center of Charleston is the infertility team composed of a physician, nurses, nursing assistants, an embryologist, andrology technicians, counselors, receptionists, and management professionals dedicated to helping infertile couples.  The Fertility Center of Charleston prides itself on providing state of the art infertility treatment through a multi-disciplinary team. The team provides individualized care through personalized treatment plans that are managed by one of the Nurse Coordinators who will be familiar with the particular treatment plan.  To learn more, log onto http://www.fertilitycharleston.com/our-team/.