Expanded Financial Options for Women Interested in Proactive Egg Freezing at Shady Grove Fertility
Rockville, MD (PRWEB) July 24, 2014 -- As the age of marriage and childbirth increases, more women are looking to egg freezing as a way to ensure future family building options by extending fertility potential which would otherwise decline with advancing reproductive age. Vitrification technology, a fast freeze method for eggs and embryos, is a cutting edge medical technology that allows a woman to have multiple eggs retrieved from their ovaries during her peak fertility years, which are then stored for future use. When circumstances allow, she can return to thaw and fertilize the eggs which will be used to establish a pregnancy. For example, if a 34-year-old woman underwent the egg freezing procedure and returned at the age of 40, her chance of having a successful pregnancy would be that of a 34-year-old woman.
Egg freezing techniques and success rates have been steadily improving since it became available to women in the United States in the early 2000s. In October 2012, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine lifted the experimental designation, making the procedure mainstream.
With increasing reproductive flexibility, more attention has been paid to the subject of egg freezing. Since 2011, Shady Grove Fertility has experienced a 50 percent increase each year in the number of women interested in learning about and undergoing the treatment. To address this growth Shady Grove Fertility created Assure, the nation’s first financial program to assist women when insurance coverage has not kept pace with technology.
The costs, not including medications, can typically range from $7,500 - $12,000, per freeze, varying by geography, and not including medications. Additionally, as not every egg results in a pregnancy, to achieve the number of frozen eggs clinically recommended to ensure multiple chances at pregnancy in the future, women may need to undergo more than one cycle. Leaving women with difficult choice of whether to pay more money and freeze more eggs or risk not having a enough eggs frozen when it becomes time to conceive.
The solution?
Shady Grove Fertility designed Assure to take away the financial pressure of pursuing additional egg freezing cycles. Assure 20, previously name Assure Fertility, enables women who qualify to pay a single fee of $12,500 covering the cost of up to four treatment cycles, or 20 mature eggs, whichever comes first. Assure 20 is recommended for women 37 and younger with excellent ovarian function. If after the first cycle 20 mature eggs are frozen or a patient withdraws from the program, a refund of $4,000 will be provided.
Recognizing that many women are just now viewing egg freezing as a viable option, Shady Grove Fertility has created Assure 30, the newest financial program for women interested in proactively freezing their eggs. Assure 30 allows women with favorable ovarian reserve to freeze up to 30 mature eggs or 5 cycles, for a flat fee of $18,000. To ensure the best possible chances of success, Shady Grove Fertility recommends that women over 37, or any woman with diminished ovarian reserve, freeze between 25 and 30 eggs. If after the first cycle 30 mature eggs are frozen or the patient withdraws from the program, a refund of $9,500 will be provided. If after the second cycle 30 mature eggs are frozen or the patient withdraws, a $4,000 refund will be granted.
Furthermore, to assist women accessing egg freezing treatment, financing is available as well as a fee for service financial option, $7,500 per cycle, and the Egg Freezing Discount Program. The Egg Freezing Discount Program benefits those who may need multiple treatment cycles, but don’t qualify for the Assure 20 or Assure 30 programs. Both of which are available for women ages 30-40 considering egg freezing. Women undergoing the egg freezing process at Shady Grove Fertility can also access special package pricing for medications, which may or may not be covered under their insurance plan, but can add to the cost of care.
Joseph Doyle, M.D., of the Shady Grove Fertility's Rockville, MD office, spearheaded the creation of Assure 20 and Assure 30. "The intention behind the development of these programs is to ensure women are able to make the decision to preserve their fertility by alleviating anxiety about uncertain financial costs.” Throughout Shady Grove Fertility’s over 20 years as leader in fertility care, the personal care each patient receives is a standard that now continues for women seeking egg freezing treatment.
Dr. Doyle is available for interviews. Contact Courtney Cohen 202-997-4515 or courtneys(at)cohen(at)gmail(dot)com.
###
About Joseph Doyle, M.D.: Joseph Doyle, MD received his medical degree from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Brigham and Women's Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, in Boston, MA. Dr. Doyle then completed a 3-year fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Massachusetts General Hospital. During his training, Dr. Doyle received several teaching and clinical excellence awards. His research efforts focused on oocyte cryopreservation, and he presented numerous times at national meetings and has multiple publications. He also has a specific interest in healthcare delivery, which he developed through seminars in conjunction with Harvard Business School. Dr. Doyle is a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, for which he has developed education modules and served as an ad hoc reviewer, and the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Originally from Virginia, Dr. Doyle is married and enjoys competing in triathlons, as well as skiing and exploring the outdoors.
About Shady Grove Fertility: Shady Grove Fertility is America’s largest and most progressive fertility center Twenty-eight reproductive endocrinologists as well as PhD scientists, geneticists and 480 highly specialized staff care for patients in 16 full-service offices and 5 satellite locations throughout the Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC metropolitan areas. SGF offers a comprehensive range of treatment options for those needing fertility treatment or egg freezing, as well as resources to comprehensively address patients’ needs - medical, emotional, and financial. For patient convenience, IVF retrievals for fertility treatment and egg freezing and are now performed at three regional Centers in Rockville, MD, Baltimore, MD and Chesterbrook, PA.
Courtney Cohen, Shady Grove Fertility, http://www.shadygrovefertility.com, +1 (202) 997-4515, [email protected]
Share this article