There are many unknowns when you start IVF. One of the most stressful is the total cost you pay if you have treatment privately. It’s hard to know what treatment you will need, how many times you might have to go through it and consequently, how much in total you will have to pay. Using data from all the clinics we work with (almost every clinic in the UK), we open the lid on the average costs.
How much does it cost?
Based on our data, we know how much a complete round of standard IVF treatment typically costs in three of the UK’s major cities, London, Birmingham and Manchester:
· In London, a complete round of IVF treatment typically costs between £6,115 and £9,195
· In Birmingham, a complete round of IVF treatment typically costs between £4,845 and £7,625
· In Manchester, a complete round of IVF treatment typically costs between £4,845 and £7,405
Data last updated: June 2023. Costs can vary, depending on the clinic – and will likely increase over time.
To understand how much IVF might cost you, it’s also important to understand why costs can vary.
What impacts the cost of IVF?
The above costs are indicative of a complete round of IVF treatment, and unfortunately it’s impossible to know how many rounds you might need to have a child. At Gaia, we provide Gaia Plans for up to 6 rounds of treatment. On average, it takes 2 to 3.
There are several different types of IVF treatment. Depending on what kind of treatment you need, you will likely have extra costs on top of a standard IVF round:
· IVF + ICSI is on average £1,100 extra – most common treatment for heterosexual couples in cases of male infertility
· Sperm Donor IVF is on average £1,000 extra – for same-sex couples, single parents or for heterosexual couples who choose to use donor sperm
· Egg Donor IVF is on average £2,800 extra – for same-sex couples, single parents or for heterosexual couples who choose to use donor eggs
Extra costs for the “Egg and/or Sperm Donor IVF” treatment also include admin, transport and registration fees from the chosen donor bank.
Hidden costs
There are essential treatments and procedures that you’ll need to complete your IVF treatment. But fertility clinics don’t always include all of them in their package pricing. This is why you’ll see lots of fertility clinics list their IVF treatment cost at £3,000, but in reality what you end up spending is closer to £6,000 with medication, scans, and additional necessary procedures.
The emotional cost
We carried out research last summer to better understand the costs and impact of IVF on those who were going through the journey. According to our results, on average people in the UK pay around £13,730 for their IVF treatment. That’s 44% of the UK median annual household income (£31,400).
With such a significant portion of people’s income and savings going towards treatment, it’s a sad reality that 78% of people have gone into debt because of their fertility treatment, and almost one-third say they’re worried about their ability to pay off that debt in the future.
“No one should have to compromise their financial future to build their family. But time and time again, I speak to people who have re-mortgaged their home, gone into overdraft, or taken out credit card debt – all for an outcome that isn’t guaranteed. At Gaia, we insure the risk so no one takes on this uncertainty and financial commitment alone.” - Lucy Slack, Head of Experience at Gaia
Paying for IVF and your options
Those who go directly to a private clinic for IVF treatment would need to pay the treatment costs, and necessary medication, throughout their treatment rounds.
However, Gaia works with your clinic to fix all of your treatment and medication costs upfront, and cover all of the payment until you have a child. All you’ll need to pay is an insurance premium (10-30% of the treatment costs) to start each round.
When you have a child, pay back monthly for your treatments for up to 8 years. If you don’t have a child at the end of your Gaia Plan, don’t pay back any of your treatment costs.
“Thanks to Gaia we still have over 70% of our savings in our IVF pot” – Lizzy, Gaia Member
To request your personalised Gaia Plan to find out if you’re eligible and how much it would cost, you can find a short questionnaire on the Gaiafamily website.
This article is a guest advertorial by Gaia Fertility.
Listen to the Two Women Chatting episode 'Our Kids Fertility Journey' with Midwife Marley where we chat with her about IVF and egg freezing.
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