Shared Risk Refund

Many couples have a limited amount of money to allocate toward building their family through advanced fertility treatment or adoption. The cost of IVF and the uncertainty regarding the outcome can be a major concern. Southeastern Fertility Center is proud to offer the IntegraMed Shared Risk Refund which was developed to reduce a couple's financial anxiety by fixing the costs associated with multiple IVF cycles. This program limits the amount of money "at risk" and preserves capital for other family building options should IVF fail.

How does the Program Work?
It's easy. You pay a fixed, discounted fee that allows you to try up to 6 IVF cycles (3 fresh IVF cycles and 3 frozen IVF cycles). The fee varies by your age. When you take a baby home from the hospital, we retain the full payment whether on the first, second or third attempt. However, if you are not successful or if you drop out of treatment, up to 70% of the fee is refunded:

In the event that you attempt up to 6 IVF cycles (3 fresh IVF cycles and 3 frozen IVF cycles) without the birth of a take home baby, or you elect to stop treatment, IntegraMed America will refund you the majority of the program fee.

A couple achieving a pregnancy on the first attempt will pay more with this program than the traditional fee for service payment methods. On the other hand, if the attempts aren't successful, we assume the bulk of the costs. Hence the name, Shared Risk Refund. Donor egg recipients and couples requiring ICSI are eligible for this program at slightly higher fees.

Why Doesn't Everyone Offer This Program?
To offer such a program, a fertility center must maintain higher than average IVF delivery rates. Additionally, the unique, non-traditional nature of the Shared Risk Refund program represents a dramatic change from the typical fee for service payment. The concept of a "shared risk for IVF" was carefully reviewed and analyzed by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). They stated that with appropriate checks and balances this type of program can be ethically pursued and provide great benefit to patients. The feedback we have received from patients over the last eight years reinforces our strong belief in the ethical nature of this program. We offer the Shared Risk Refund program as an alternative financial option but do not try to persuade couples to participate. We advise everyone considering this option to weigh the benefits of this program vs. the traditional fee for service.

Who Qualifies for This Program?
Couples interested in participating in the Shared Risk Refund Program must complete a full medical screening and be considered appropriate candidates for IVF. Women must be able to complete all 6 IVF cycles (3 fresh IVF cycles and 3 frozen IVF cycles) by their 38th birthday if using their own eggs. There is no age limit for women using donor eggs. Acceptance into the program is at the sole and subjective opinion of IntegraMed America. Over the past eight years, approximately 70% of couples that applied have been accepted into the Shared Risk Refund Program.

Financing Options
IntegraMed also offers convenient, low-interest treatment financing for any type of infertility treatment including the Shared Risk Refund program. Because our interest rates are significantly lower than those of credit cards and other finance companies and because we focus only on infertility treatment, our plan makes good financial sense. It provides an affordable payment plan for the Shared Risk Refund program.

A Patient's Point of View
"The Shared Risk Refund program gave us peace of mind while we were going through IVF because the costs were fixed-no surprises. Once pregnant, we were comforted knowing that if anything happened to the pregnancy, we could try IVF again or adopt."

Questions & Considerations
Our goal in offering the Shared Risk Refund program is to help infertile couples create or expand their family, with less financial anxiety, when insurance benefits aren't available to help defray the costs.

Does the Program guarantee a successful outcome?
This program does not guarantee a successful outcome. As is clearly stated in our written and verbal communication, we don't expect nor do we guarantee every couple will take home a baby. However, Shared Risk Refund does guarantee that the cost of an IVF cycle will be limited if the treatment is unsuccessful.

Why does the Program have age and other limitations?
The delivery rate in the Shared Risk Refund program must be maintained at or above 30% per cycle for this program to be financially feasible for us to "share the risk." Therefore Shared Risk Refund participants must be able to complete three IVF cycles by their 38th birthday. However, patients using donor eggs are eligible for the program even if older than 39. The age limit was not set to "skew" the outcomes in our favor but rather works to maintain the delivery rate that allows us to offer Shared Risk Refund to eligible couples who have no insurance benefits for IVF.

How many patients actually qualify?
Over the last 8 years approximately 70% of couples who applied have met the eligibility criteria for the Shared Risk Refund program. Are different therapies used for Shared Risk Refund patients? The therapies used for patients are the same whether you are in Shared Risk Refund or not. Typically, Shared Risk Refund is only discussed after IVF is chosen as the medically appropriate therapy.

Questions? Call us today 843-881-3900.