Rosie Comb-Clark and her husband, Paul, welcomed their daughter Esther six months ago, after using an IVF refund scheme.
The 43-year-old accountant started IVF in early 2020 and had five full rounds of fertility treatment and two frozen embryo transfers — seven attempts in total.
IVF, or In Vitro Fertilisation, uses several processes to help a woman conceive. These include using drugs to stimulate the ovaries so a woman produces multiple eggs, fertilising these eggs in a laboratory in order to develop embryos, then transferring the embryos back by attaching them to the lining of a woman’s uterus. A full cycle of IVF usually takes two to three weeks.
Refund schemes for IVF essentially offer treatment at a higher price than typical — but with the guarantee that would-be parents receive a refund on all or part of their fees if the process is not successful. Experts warn that such schemes carry risks, and highlight the physical and emotional toll of multiple rounds of IVF on people at a vulnerable time.
For Rosie and Paul the outcome was positive. The couple, who live in Bedfordshire, initially signed up for a three-cycle course because they believed it offered better value than individual cycles. They were also given a leaflet about an organisation called Access Fertility and its IVF refund programme.
“Most IVF refunds are based on the ‘shared risk’ model,” says Chris Yang, a personal finance consultant and co-founder of Coins Value. “Patients pay an increased fee for several attempts, and, if they don’t achieve a live birth at the end of it, they are given a full or partial refund.”
Schemes vary across clinics, but a 100 per cent refund scheme means each treatment cycle is more expensive, while a deal offering 50 per cent refund is available for a lower price.
Prices for a single cycle of IVF vary but the average cost is approximately £7,000 including medication. Typical IVF treatments do not include a refund but many of the larger clinics offer the option of signing up to a refund partner such as Access Fertility.
Access Fertility gives the example of a 37- year-old doing a three-cycle IVF programme at Manchester Fertility. Without an IVF refund, this would cost £8,950; with a 100 per cent refund, this goes up to £11,700. Due to her age at the time – 39 – Rosie was only eligible for a 50 per cent refund policy with Access Fertility.
“With all these offers, you think: ‘What is the catch?’ I spoke to the clinic, and they said: ‘It is what it is.’” says Rosie.
There are only a couple of firms that offer refunds in the UK, but they operate across most of the larger IVF clinics.
After her first three cycles failed, the couple received their 50 per cent refund back, a total of £5,975.
“We wanted a baby, so the refund package made signing up for more rounds easier. It eases the financial burden of IVF. It’s not helpful to have financial worries on top of everything else,” she explains.
The refund was quickly processed by Access Fertility and returned to the couple’s bank account. As Rosie was now over 40, she was no longer eligible for a second refund policy, but she got pregnant on her fifth IVF cycle.
“It was very surprising and wonderful,” she says.
“With our programmes, patients can choose between a 50 per cent, 70 per cent and 100 per cent level of refund,” says Ash Miller, founder of Access Fertility.
“We work with the biggest clinic groups in the UK – around 40 to 50 clinics in total. Costs vary based on which clinic you’re being treated at, how many cycles of treatment you’re looking to have and which refund option you’re interested in,” he adds.
In general, prices for refund programmes range from £7,000 to £18,000, with the average patient paying around £9,000 to £10,000. London clinics tend to be the most expensive.
“Given the high cost of IVF, it provides a measure of financial protection and peace of mind for patients,” says Yang. “Indeed, that can be a very enticing fact when one considers the emotional and financial tolls of the treatments.”
However, there is a lot to think about when signing up to such a scheme.
“While they may seem like a safety net, it’s important to remember that these schemes often come with stringent eligibility criteria and are not always in the patient’s best interest,” says Ruth O’Dwyer, founder of Unfolding Fertility. “IVF is a significant emotional and financial investment, and it is important to approach it with a clear understanding of all the factors involved.”
Access Fertility’s refund scheme involves a medical review, but it flags that acceptance rates are still around 90 per cent.
“The medical review takes into account a range of factors including Anti-Müllerian Hormone [which corresponds to a woman’s egg count] and antral follicle count [women with a higher count are more likely to produce more mature eggs during ovarian stimulation], previous IVF and also semen analysis if the patient is going through treatment with a male partner. Fertility is a complex field, so we review each applicant on an individual basis and, as such, there is no set criteria,” adds Miller.
Yang advises you should check the conditions for refunds, cycle limits, and other hidden fees.
“Be sure to know what constitutes a ‘success’ and any restrictions on future treatments,” he says.
While Access Fertility’s refund programme has led to £17m in refunded fees and 10,000 births, it refrains from revealing the programme’s success rate.
“Any number we would work out would come with caveats and assumptions that aren’t fair to aggregate up to one single figure,” it says.
That said, Rosie is very happy with the scheme, saying: “Anything that you can do to help the financial side is great. It’s one less thing to think about.”
Things to watch out for with IVF refund scheme
- Take time out and inform yourself about the criteria of the programme. It might be worth engaging financial advisers to go through the small print.
- Explore alternative financing options such as loans or grants. IVF refunds can be expensive and may not offer you the best deal.
- Research clinics thoroughly and compare refund programmes before committing.
- IVF is highly dependent on individual factors, such as age and fertility diagnosis, so don’t assume that a refund programme will bring you success.
- There are things you can do to improve your chances of conceiving. “My approach focuses on helping individuals uncover and address the root causes of their fertility challenges… This way, they are better equipped to assess options like refund schemes and other financial plans,” says O’Dwyer.
