Frequently Asked Questions |
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Follow the link below for each section to answer the most common questions:
1.Will my treatment be different if I enroll
No! IntegraMed does not get involved in your treatment plan. In most cases your treatment plan is already in place by the time your application is reviewed by IntegraMed. Your physician may not even be aware of your participation in the Program. The practice is paid for each cycle completed, regardless of outcome. Practices offer this Program as a service to their patients, but are indifferent as to whether you participate.
2. What services are included in the Program fee?
The Program fee covers office visits, blood tests, ultrasounds, egg retrieval, fertilization, assisted hatching, one fresh embryo transfer and one frozen embryo transfer as part of each IVF cycle. Pre-IVF office visits, diagnostic tests, medications and anesthesia are generally not included. Some patients may require or opt for additional services which are also not included in the cost of the Program such as: blastocyst culture, cryopreservation of excess embryos, non-IVF related surgeries and the cost associated with complications. While you may participate in the Program if using donor eggs or donor sperm, the cost of obtaining the eggs or sperm is not included.
3. What is not included in the IntegraMed Shared Risk Refund Program fee?
Fees not included in the Shared Risk Refund cost are:
Although the costs associated with the initial freezing and storing of excess embryos are not included in the Shared Risk fee, the cost of thawing and transferring these embryos is included.
4. Why are medications excluded from the Program?
Your physician will customize your drug protocol based on your individual needs. As a result, the cost of obtaining these fertility drugs will vary for each patient, typically costing between $2000 and $4000. Because the costs can vary greatly, it is not possible to include these costs in the Program fee.
5 .What if I have insurance coverage for infertility treatment?
The IntegraMed Shared Risk Refund Program was initially developed for people who do not have insurance coverage for IVF. We now offer a “Without Monitoring” program which exclude services that may be covered by your insurance. Many patients with limited insurance coverage use their benefits to cover medications and other services not covered by the Program. We suggest you fully explore your insurance benefits prior to enrolling in the IntegraMed Shared Risk Refund Program.
6. Are we obligated to complete all six attempts?
No! You may elect to drop out of the Program between cycles for any reason. Once you have begun a cycle, you must remain in the Program until the cycle is completed and outcome of that cycle is known. Similarly, IntegraMed reserves the right to remove you from the Program between cycles for any reason. Regardless of who terminates the agreement, you are entitled to the specified (70% or 100%) refund.
7. Are there any criteria that I must meet in order to be eligible to participate in the IntegraMed Shared Risk Refund Program?
Yes. The IntegraMed Shared Risk Refund Program is offered selectively to couples that have completed a full medical prescreening and are considered good IVF candidates. Patients offered enrollment prior to their 37th birthday are expected to complete the program by their 38th birthday, if using their own eggs. If enrollment is offered after a patient’s 37th birthday they have one year to complete the program. Recipients of donor eggs must complete the program prior to their 51st birthday. Once IVF is recommended by one of our physicians, IntegraMed’s clinical staff will review the following information to determine if you are an appropriate candidate for the Program:
Acceptance into the Program is at the discretion of IntegraMed America and is not necessarily an indication of a patient’s chance of success with IVF. The determination of IntegraMed America is final. Please remember that IntegraMed is making a determination about your participation in a financial program, not a clinical determination of your chances of success with IVF.
8. How much does the IntegraMed Shared Risk Refund Program cost? The cost of the Shared Risk Refund Program is about the cost of two cycles and varies according to your age and treatment type. There are additional costs associated with ICSI and donor egg. After a review of your medical screening, the physicians at the IntegraMed Affiliated Fertility Center will determine a treatment plan. Total cost can be as little as $400 per month if you opt to finance the up front fee for the Program through IntegraMed financial services.
9. What if my doctor recommends ICSI?
Patients undergoing IVF with ICSI are eligible to participate in the Program.
10. What happens if it is determined by my physician at the time of insemination that ICSI will be necessary and I have not paid the fee that includes this procedure?
If it is determined that ICSI is necessary and you have not paid IntegraMed for this service, you will pay the practice directly on a fee-for-service basis and the fee will not be subject to a refund. You may elect to pay IntegraMed for this service up front. If ICSI is not performed during the course of your treatment, IntegraMed will refund the ICSI portion of the Program fee.
11. What is the refund I will receive should I not become pregnant and take home a baby?
The refund is the same if you complete the Program unsuccessfully, if you withdraw, or if IntegraMed withdraws you from participation in the Program. Refunds are determined by the amount of services completed in your first cycle.
Non- Donor Treatment Plans or Split Donor Treatment plans:
If you have attempted your first cycle, but are canceled prior to retrieval, you will receive a 90% refund. Once you go to retrieval on your first cycle, you are eligible for a 70% refund at any time between cycles or if you complete the Program unsuccessfully.
Participants enrolled in a Donor Treatment Plan are entitled to a 100% refund at any time between cycles or if you complete the Program unsuccessfully.
12. Do I have to use my cryopreserved embryos?
Not all Participants will have excess embryos to cryopreserve. For those Participants, the
If, after the first or second stimulated IVF cycle, there are sufficient frozen embryos to
13. If I become pregnant, but the pregnancy does not go to term, do I receive a refund?
The IntegraMed Shared Risk Refund Program states that IntegraMed earns their fee when you take a baby home. If a pregnancy does not continue to term, it counts as one of your cycles in the Program. If there are remaining benefits (cycles) in the Program, you may continue treatment in the Program. Should you choose to withdraw from the Program, or if this was your final cycle within the Program you would be eligible for the refund.
14. Do I have to pay the entire fee for the IntegraMed Shared Risk Refund Program up front?
The fee for the IntegraMed Shared Risk Program must be paid prior to beginning treatment. For your convenience, IntegraMed accepts certified bank checks, VISA, MasterCard and American Express, as well as payment from Capital One Healthcare Financing (1-877-559-5050) through IntegraMed Financial Services.
If you elect to finance the cost of treatment through IntegraMed Financial Services, you may also finance the cost of your medications dispensed through ivpcare as well as services that are paid directly our practice.
There is no cost to apply and no prepayment penalties if you pay off the loan early. Please visit www.integramed.com to learn more about our loan program or to apply on line.
15. What is the interest rate for financing?
The rate for a loan through IntegraMed Financial Services is as low as 1.9% APR for an unsecured loan. Loans are subject to credit approval and the rate is dependant on both your credit rating as well as the length of the term.
16. How long can I take to pay off the loan?
The terms of the loan vary. You can pay it off in one to five years - that is your choice. In the event that a refund is issued, the refund will be applied to the loan balance to pay off the loan. If you choose to pay off the loan early, there is no prepayment penalty.
17. How is the money paid by IntegraMed Financial Services?
After you are approved for the loan, both you and the physician you have chosen are notified of the approval. Once you sign for the loan, the funds are paid directly to IntegraMed and/or the IntegraMed affiliated physician. If you have chosen to finance your medications, payment will be made directly through IntegraMed Pharmaceutical Services Inc. (IPSI). Pharmaceuticals can only be financed when using ivpcare to fill your prescriptions.
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