Once we decided that IUI was our option for conception, the next questions were: Where do we go to start the process? What are some things we need to consider before deciding on what fertility practice is best for us? How many options do we have? In this post today, I will discuss what our options were (without providing names) and some important information one should consider before choosing a fertility clinic.
Things to Consider when Choosing a Fertility Clinic
Location
Services Offered
Insurance Coverage/ Financial Plans
Pregnancy Success Rates
Patient Reviews
Location
Location is important to consider when choosing your fertility clinic. It is a good idea to find a fertility clinic that is both close to your home and work. Not only will you have numerous appointments during your treatment, but you will have them (most likely) during your work day. When searching for a fertility clinic, we simply typed in fertility clinics near us in Google. We had to do a little research, but there was only two clinics in our state that offered advanced reproductive services. Unfortunately for us, we had to decide which was more important; being closer to our home or work because they were on opposite ends of the state. We decided to choose the one closer to home but in hindsight it would have been more convenient to have chosen the one closer to work (50 minute drives for appointments at 8:00am from there to work was not fun).
Services Offered
Once you had narrowed your search down to fertility clinics near you, it is time to do a little research. Not all fertility clinics offer the same services. For example, there is a third fertility clinic in our state, but after going to the website, we knew that it was not the place for us. Why? Well they promote becoming a parent "naturally;" unfortunately, we do not have that option, but the place seems nice if that option is available to you! When looking at services we wanted to make sure that they had all the options we needed in case one did not work. My wife and I specifically wanted to try IUI, but if IUI failed we wanted to continue at the same practice for the more advanced procedures such as IVF. Most fertility clinics will have a page on their website that explains the programs or services they offer, so make sure you check that out before you continue.
Insurance Coverage/Financial Plans
Once you have chosen a fertility clinic that is in a convenient location for you, it is time to see if they take your insurance or see what financial plans they offer. Make sure to look up if your state has any fertility insurance coverage laws. According to Resolve: The National Infertility Association, "As of June 2022, 20 states have passed fertility insurance coverage laws, 14 of those laws include IVF coverage, and 12 states have fertility preservation laws for iatrogenic (medically-induced) infertility." If you are not sure if your state falls under this category, check out Resolve's page,"Insurance Coverage by State." This page includes all the states that have infertility insurance coverage laws and breaks down what the laws are per state.
After seeing if your state has any coverage laws, check with your employer and/or insurance carrier to see what or if it covers fertility treatment. Many fertility clinics will also have an information page on their website about insurance coverage and a contact number to find out more about it.
If you find your insurance does not cover fertility treatment, your next option is to check for financial plans or programs. My wife and I were told that our insurance did not cover our fertility treatment, but our clinic offered a financial program for IUI that made it more affordable for us. If financial plans are available, the clinics should have a page on their website with more information or simply contact them to inquire.
Pregnancy Success Rate
Pregnancy success rate is an important aspect to consider because not all practices have the same numbers. When researching pregnancy success rates, make sure to compare the numbers with each of your options. Not sure how to find your fertility clinic's success rate? Check out Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART). SART is an organization that provides and gather's data from fertility clinics across the United States. The organization provides an option to find your clinic and view the facility's data that they reported to SART. However, some fertility clinics are not members of SART and will not come up in the search (this might be an indicator that maybe you should look elsewhere).
If your fertility clinic shows up, then there will be "Success Rate" button on the side, which will bring you to the clinic's report. If you are numerically challenged like I am, you can find a "Understand This Report"and a "Simple Clinic Summary Report" button at the top. It is always beneficial to ask your clinic about the report if you have any questions.
Patient Reviews
Patient or customer reviews may or may not be on your list of things to consider. This is more of a personal opinion. My wife and I always like to check the reviews on places and products before we make a decision. We are fully aware that a lot of the time if someone is writing a review it's not because they had a good experience. However, when it comes to fertility or medical practices in general, we like to see what other people have to say. Reviews tend to answer questions about whether a practice has a friendly or welcoming atmosphere or environment, doctors, and staff. If you see a particular doctor's name that comes up a lot with negative comments, maybe you still want to use the fertility center, but think it's best to go with a different doctor.
Hope this helps make your decision a little easier! Leave a comment if you have any questions or additional information to share and check out my video:
References
Homepage: Resolve: The National Infertility Association. RESOLVE. (2023, April 4). Retrieved April 16, 2023, from https://resolve.org/
Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. SART. (2023, April 13). Retrieved April 16, 2023, from https://www.sart.org/
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