A single IVF cycle in the United States costs $12,000 to $18,000 for the base procedure, with medications adding another $3,000 to $5,000 on top. Most people need more than one cycle. That means the total bill can climb well past $30,000 or $40,000, and finding ways to cover it requires combining several strategies rather than relying on just one.
Check Your Insurance First
Before you start fundraising, find out what your current plan already covers. About 20 states have some form of fertility coverage mandate, though the details vary enormously. New York requires large group plans (employers with more than 100 employees) to cover IVF. New Jersey, Connecticut, Hawaii, and Rhode Island mandate coverage through insurers and HMOs. Oregon covers fertility treatment through health insurance organizations broadly. Many other states, like Kentucky, only mandate coverage for diagnosis and fertility drugs but not the procedures themselves. Illinois specifically excludes IVF, IUI, and cryopreservation from its mandate.
Even in states with mandates, self-insured employer plans (common among large companies that fund their own claims) are often exempt. So is coverage through religious employers. If your state isn’t on the list or your plan falls into an exemption, you’re not out of options, but you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Employer Fertility Benefits
Forty-seven percent of large U.S. employers now cover IVF, up from 45% in 2023. Among companies with 20,000 or more employees, that number jumps to 70%. If you’re considering a job change or your partner has access to a different employer’s plan, it’s worth checking what’s available.
Starbucks offers up to $25,000 in IVF coverage plus prescription drug support through Progyny, and both full-time and part-time employees qualify. Tractor Supply Co. provides a full IVF cycle through Progyny for part-time workers logging at least 15 hours per week after one year. Amazon covers IVF through Maven Clinic for full- and part-time employees with no pre-certification required. Microsoft and Lowe’s also provide comprehensive fertility benefits including IVF, egg freezing, and surrogacy support.
Sixty-four percent of employers offering fertility benefits now make them inclusive, meaning you don’t need a clinical infertility diagnosis to qualify. If you’re exploring this route, ask your HR department specifically about fertility benefits, since they’re sometimes buried in plan documents under “specialty care” rather than listed prominently.
Fertility Grants and Scholarships
Several nonprofits award grants specifically for fertility treatment, and while the application process is competitive, the money doesn’t need to be repaid.
- Baby Quest Foundation: Awards $2,000 to $16,000 in a combination of cash and donated medications. Open to all genders, singles, and same-sex couples who are permanent U.S. residents.
- Cade Foundation Family Building Grant: Up to $10,000 per family for IVF or domestic adoption. You need an infertility diagnosis and permanent U.S. residency. Their separate Savannah Grant provides up to $10,000 for patients at Shady Grove Fertility clinics.
- The Hope for Fertility Foundation: Grants up to $5,000 for married couples who are U.S. residents with a documented infertility diagnosis.
- Starfish Infertility Foundation (Braxton Grant): Up to $5,000 for couples who are uninsured for fertility treatment.
- ANEDEN Gives: At least $5,000 per family, currently limited to patients at Houston Fertility Institute, Pacific NW Fertility in Seattle, and REACH Clinic of Charlotte.
Most of these grants open applications on a seasonal cycle, so check deadlines early. RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association, maintains an updated list of all current grant opportunities on their website.
Medication Discount Programs
Since medications alone can add $3,000 to $5,000 per cycle, cutting that cost makes a real difference. Two pharmaceutical manufacturers run significant discount programs.
EMD Serono’s Compassionate Care Program offers up to 50% off fertility medications for eligible self-pay patients based on financial need. Active military, inactive military, and veterans receive a minimum 10% discount and may qualify for up to 50% off. The program enrolled nearly 8,000 patients in a recent year, saving them approximately $11.7 million combined. No minimum purchase is required.
Ferring Pharmaceuticals runs the IVF Greenlight program for cash-paying patients, offering a 50% discount on one of their stimulation drugs and 15% off several others, including commonly prescribed progesterone and trigger shot medications. Your clinic’s financial coordinator can typically enroll you in these programs directly.
Fertility Financing and Loans
If you need to borrow, fertility-specific lenders often offer better terms than general personal loans or credit cards.
EggFund provides loans up to $250,000 with fixed rates starting at 6.99% and a minimum credit score of 600. Future Family advertises interest rates as low as 0% for qualifying borrowers. CNY Fertility’s in-house financing charges no interest at all and has no minimum credit score requirement, though it’s tied to treatment at their clinics. Prosper Healthcare Lending offers fertility financing up to $100,000.
For borrowers who qualify, the JFLA/Feit4Kidz program provides interest-free loans up to $15,000 with zero fees and no credit check on the applicant. You do need a guarantor with a credit score of 680 or higher who lives in California.
Compare these against a home equity line of credit or a 0% introductory APR credit card if you can pay it off within the promotional window. The right choice depends on how much you need, your credit profile, and how quickly you can repay.
Shared Risk and Refund Programs
Many fertility clinics offer multi-cycle packages where you pay a higher upfront fee but receive a partial or full refund if treatment doesn’t result in a live birth. These programs shift some financial risk away from you.
A typical structure includes three egg retrieval cycles, genetic testing on embryos, unlimited frozen embryo transfers, and cryopreservation, all bundled into one price. If no successful birth occurs after completing the allotted cycles, you receive 80% to 100% of the program fees back, depending on the clinic and your specific situation. Eligibility usually requires being under 40 at the start of treatment and meeting clinical criteria through initial testing. These programs cost more upfront than a single cycle, but for people who anticipate needing multiple rounds, the financial protection can be worth it.
HSA, FSA, and Tax Deductions
IVF expenses qualify for payment through a health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement arrangement (HRA). If your employer offers an FSA, you can set aside pre-tax dollars during open enrollment to cover anticipated treatment costs. HSAs have higher contribution limits and roll over year to year, making them especially useful if you’re planning treatment months in advance.
The IRS explicitly allows you to deduct IVF costs as medical expenses on your federal tax return. This includes in vitro fertilization, temporary storage of eggs or sperm, and surgery to reverse a prior sterilization procedure. To claim the deduction, your total medical expenses for the year must exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, and you need to itemize deductions rather than taking the standard deduction. For a household earning $80,000, that means medical expenses above $6,000 become deductible. Given that a single IVF cycle with medications can easily reach $17,000 to $23,000, many people cross that threshold in the year they undergo treatment.
Crowdfunding
GoFundMe and similar platforms have become a common way to raise money for IVF cycles. Campaigns that include a personal story, a clear funding goal tied to actual treatment costs, and regular updates tend to raise the most. Being specific helps: instead of asking for a vague amount, break down the cost so donors can see exactly where their money goes.
One important tax consideration: if you deduct IVF costs as medical expenses one year and then receive crowdfunded reimbursement the following year, you generally need to report that reimbursement as income to the extent it reduced your taxes. Money received directly from donors and used for medical expenses you haven’t deducted doesn’t create a tax liability, but the interaction between deductions and later reimbursements is worth tracking carefully.
Options for Military Families
TRICARE does not cover IVF or other assisted reproductive technology services under its standard benefit. However, eight military hospitals offer ART services on a first-come, first-served basis at significantly reduced cost: Walter Reed (Bethesda, MD), Tripler Army Medical Center (Honolulu), Womack Army Medical Center (Fort Liberty, NC), Madigan Army Medical Center (Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA), Brooke Army Medical Center (Fort Sam Houston, TX), Naval Medical Center San Diego, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (VA), and Wright Patterson Medical Center (OH).
Service members who suffered a serious or severe illness or injury on active duty that affects their ability to have children can receive IVF, egg retrieval, sperm retrieval, and embryo transfer at no cost through the Supplemental Health Care Program. This coverage extends to the service member’s enrolled spouse or unmarried partner. Combined with EMD Serono’s military medication discounts, this can bring out-of-pocket costs down dramatically for qualifying veterans and active duty personnel.