Common questions to ask a fertility clinic
Ask each clinic the same set of questions: what services it offers, what a cycle includes, what is not included, and who will care for you. Write down every answer.
Updated
Most people who choose a fertility clinic have never chosen one before. It is easy to pick the clinic closest to home, or the one with the highest rate on paper. A better approach is to ask every clinic on your short list the same questions. Write down each answer, then compare them.
Ask about services
Does the clinic offer the treatment you need? The listing on this site shows what each clinic reported to the CDC. A clinic may offer services it did not report. An empty field means unknown, not none. Call to check. If you need donor eggs, a gestational carrier or genetic testing of embryos, ask whether the clinic does this itself or through a partner.
Ask what a cycle includes
Ask what the quoted price for one IVF cycle covers, and what it does not cover. Stimulation medication is often billed separately from the cycle price. Ask for a written breakdown, so you can compare clinics line by line.
Ask what is not included
Add-ons can change the total a lot. The IVF cost estimator on this site uses typical published US figures for self-pay IVF. It uses about $3,000 to $5,000 per cycle for medication. It uses about $4,000 to $6,000 per cycle for genetic testing of embryos (PGT). Embryo freezing with one year of storage is about $500 to $1,500. These are estimates, not quotes. Ask the clinic for its own figures in writing.
Ask who will care for you
Ask who oversees your treatment. Ask who does the egg retrieval and who does the embryo transfer. Ask whether you will meet that person before the procedure. The medical director named on the listing is the name the clinic reported to the CDC. That person may not be your own doctor.
Ask about insurance
Some US states require health insurers to cover fertility treatment, and some do not. Ask the clinic whether it bills insurance. Then call your insurer and ask what your plan covers. Compare the two answers before you budget.
Ask about waiting times
Ask how long you wait for a first visit. Ask how long you wait before treatment can start. Write the answers next to each clinic on your list.
Ask about the success rates
The rates on a listing are whole-clinic figures that the clinic reported to the CDC for one year. They do not show any one patient's chance of success. The CDC itself says clinic comparisons may not be meaningful, because patient groups differ. Ask the clinic and your doctor what the figures mean for you.
Before you decide
A listing is not an endorsement. Facts on this site can be out of date. Talk to a doctor or other qualified clinician before you choose a treatment. Ask a qualified professional about any legal or financial question in your decision.