Causes & Treatment
IVF refund programme options – what you need to know
Eloise Edington | 19 Oct 2022
At The Ribbon Box, we know assisted reproduction can be a huge financial commitment, which is one of the reasons why we offer free expert advice to our readers and followers. We’re here to help you on your fertility journey, providing you with the best possible guidance, support and information at your fingertips.
We’ve now partnered with Access Fertility, which collaborates with fertility clinics across the UK and Europe to offer IVF discounts. Our community is eager to learn about IVF refund programmes so here we’ve collated answers to your FAQs about fertility treatment discounts and refunds.
Read on to find out more.
Words by Holly Pigache
What makes a great IVF refund programme?
Understanding the different fertility treatments can be overwhelming, confusing and fraught with emotional and financial stress. Even in the early stages of discussing assisted-reproduction options with a fertility specialist, it’s easy to put pressure on ourselves to make sure we ask all the right questions, particularly when we’ve spent upwards of £200 on an initial consultation alone. And then there’s the huge financial burden of fertility treatment itself – with no guarantee of a baby…
Access Fertility remove this stress. Through close partnership with clinics across the country, they offer discounts for IVF treatment and full refunds if your fertility treatment doesn’t result in a baby.
Follow this link to book a free nurse consultation and ask any question about fertility treatment or your personal situation – no question is a silly question.
Why Does Access Fertility Offer Discounts and Refunds?
Five years ago, Access Fertility’s Founder and CEO set up Access to:
- reduce the costs of fertility treatment
- make treatment more affordable
- help patients save money overall
- fix the price of assisted-reproduction
- provide a refund if you don’t have a baby
Is Access Fertility a Clinic?
It’s important to note that Access Fertility is not a clinic itself. Access Fertility connects intended parents with over 70 fertility clinics around the UK and Europe, allowing access to discounted costs of fertility treatment and full refund IVF programmes if you don’t have a baby.
Click here to book a free, no obligation nurse consultation with Access Fertility.
What are IVF Refund Programmes?
The Access Fertility IVF Refund Programme offers multiple IVF cycles (and unlimited frozen embryo transfers) for a fixed price at a significant discount and 100% refund if treatment doesn’t result in a baby.
- Prices range from £7,000 to £17,500 (a potential saving of at least 30% compared with paying the clinic directly)
- IVF and ICSI available
- Choose between 2 or 3 egg collections
- Unlimited frozen embryo transfers
- Available for patients under 40 years old, using their own eggs
- No application free and no unnecessary additional tests
- There’s no catch – just a medical review (which has a 90% acceptance rate)
Steps to Access
- Fill out a form to book in a free nurse consultation
- Speak with nurse Kelly
- Sign your Agreement Form and make payment
- Your clinic will then be notified and you can book the start of your treatment with them
There’s no obligation to have fertility treatment with Access Fertility after your phone call, just have a friendly chat with a nurse and have your questions answered (click here to book a telephone appointment).
Which Clinics can I Access for Discounted and Refund IVF?
To find out where Access Fertility’s partner fertility clinics are located, click here.
Who’s Eligible for Refunds and Discounts?
If you’re under 40 years old, using your own eggs and are happy to provide your medical documents for review, the IVF Refund Programme might suit you best. With this programme, women can undergo two or three cycles of IVF or ICSI and if the treatment is completed and you don’t have a baby, you can receive up to 100% of the programme fee refunded.
If you’re under 45 and using your own eggs you can choose the popular Multi-Cycle Programme. There’s no need to undergo a medical review as this programme offers low- and fixed-cost IVF for up to four cycles, paid for in advance. Whilst there is no refund available for the Multi-Cycle Programme, Access Fertility’s dedicated team will work directly with your clinic to offer you the same discounted rate as the IVF Refund Programme.
The Donor Refund Programme is available to patients aged 48-55 and under (depending on the clinic), using donor eggs. If, after two or three cycles of ICSI treatment, patients don’t have a live birth, they are entitled to a refund of up to 100% of the programme fee.
The IVF Unlimited Programme offers unlimited IVF and ICSI treatment over two years for women aged 38 and under, subject to medical review. If the two-year treatment doesn’t lead to a baby, patients are allowed a full refund. The IVF Unlimited Programme is a fixed-fee package.
What are the Waiting Times?
Access Fertility understand how time-sensitive assisted-conception can be so they keep their waiting times to a minimum. As Access is not a clinic, there is no waiting list but a short amount of time to process enrolment.
The process is quick and smooth so you can make headway in your family-building efforts, varying slightly depending on your programme:
- Unlimited and Refund IVF Programme: Once Access receive your consent form and medical results from your clinic, they will decide if you’re eligible for the Refund IVF Programme within two weeks. Around 90% of applicants for the Refund Programme are accepted – then, you’re ready to book in treatment.
- Multi-Cycle Programme: As there’s no medical review, this application is usually processed within one working day.
Are There Hidden Costs?
In a word: no.
Access Fertility is clear about what’s included in the programme you choose:
- Either two, three or four cycles of IVF or ICSI (or a fixed two-year period of IVF or ICSI treatment if you buy the Unlimited Programme)
- Unlimited frozen embryo transfers
- In-cycle blood tests, scans and cycle monitoring
- Mild sedation
- Blastocyst culture and transfer
- Freezing and one year of storage per egg collection
- HFEA fee
With Access, other additions are usually included in the cost but these can vary between clinics. It’s best to speak with an advisor at Access for further details.
What’s not included:
- Initial consultation fee
- Investigatory tests the clinic needs before your treatment
- Medication
Book in a no-obligation friendly chat with nurse Kelly by filling in this form.
How Do I Get A Refund?
If you’ve used all the cycles in your refund programme plan and used all your frozen embryos without the success of having a baby, then you’ll receive a refund. The clinic notifies Access Fertility of failed treatment and Access issue your refund within 30 days.
Even if you have a miscarriage, a stillbirth or a medically-recommended termination, you are still eligible for a refund.
Is it Worth it?
Only you can make a decision about financing your family-building efforts but considering assisted-conception is extremely costly, at FHH we love the work Access Fertility do to make fertility treatment more accessible.
You can find out the individual success rates of Access’ partner clinics on the HFEA website by clicking here. Remember to look into success rates for your particular treatment before you choose a fertility clinic (read our article of Nine Top Tips for choosing a fertility clinic).
When you’re trying to minimise stress and pressure during fertility treatment, having the reassurance that a full refund is available should treatment not go to plan is incredible. We hope this article about Access Fertility’s IVF refund programmes and discounted fertility treatment has answered some of your questions.
If you have more questions about fertility treatment discounts and IVF refund programmes, follow this link to book in a free, no-obligation call with a nurse. No question is a silly question.
You can also join our community to connect with others going through similar experiences.
