In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

Shared Success Program With Medications

Carolina Conceptions would like to offer you a warranty against not getting pregnant in IVF. Unfortunately it is not a guarantee of getting pregnant. Many couples with unexplainable infertility have to decide whether to pursue adoption, super ovulation with insemination, or IVF. The cost of the later without some type of warranty against not getting pregnant often makes the decision to do IVF financially unattainable. Hence we would like to offer you a “Shared Success” program to consider.

In this program if you are not successful a significant portion of your money ($10,000) is refunded. The total amount of money you pay into this program is higher than you would pay if you were doing a standard IVF by approximately 3500 dollars. So if you get pregnant you will have paid more, but if you are not pregnant (beyond 10 weeks gestation) you will receive your money back.

If you meet the criteria to join the risk sharing program then you are considered a good candidate for a pregnancy in your age group (greater than 50%). After your initial consultation you and your significant other will be required to undergo specific testing to see if you qualify for the program. We do not assume the risks for your results and may not be able to include you in the program based on these results. These are included below to eliminate any perception of subjectivity on the part of the physicians and nurses of Carolina Conceptions.

If you qualify for the “Shared Success” program you must agree to the fertilization of all available mature eggs, either by conventional means or intracytoplasmic sperm injection. You must also agree to the standards that we use in our IVF program; this would include ICSI, assisted hatching, extended culture to the blastocyst stage, incubation in a low oxygen (nitrogen) incubator and cryopreservation. These practices give you the best chance of conception with the lowest chance of multiples. We utilize the same recommendations for numbers of embryos to transfer whether or not you participate in the risk sharing program. In fact although the physicians initially approved your entrance in to the Shared Success program, they will often be unaware of whether you decided to pursue this option in your treatment cycle. This will also eliminate a bias to transfer more embryos. We do not want to assume any higher risk of multiple pregnancies just to reduce our risk of no pregnancy but you must be willing to transfer at least 2 embryos.

Prior to participation a financial consultant will review the financial intricacies of the program. If you meet criteria and decide to pursue the program your $18,000 will include no charge monitoring visits (ultrasounds and hormonal assays NOT including pregnancy tests), all medications from our pharmacy, standard IVF with ICSI, assisted hatching, extended culture, nitrogen incubator, cryopreservation, retrieval and transfer in fresh and one frozen cycle (not to include medications). It does not cover the initial consultation, screening labs, hydro sonogram or HSG, mock transfer, semen analysis, anesthesia, storage fee, or embryo biopsy.. If we cancel your cycle prior to retrieval, unless it is an error on your part in medication taking, you will receive a full refund of your risk sharing money, excluding medication and initial work up test and consultation. If you cancel your cycle then will be responsible for the charges incurred and an administrative fee of $500. The rest will be refunded. If you do not get pregnant or experience a pregnancy loss prior to 10 weeks gestation then you must use your remaining frozen embryos within one year of retrieval. If you fail to do so, or discontinue treatment we will keep your entire cycle deposit ($15,000). Pregnancy is defined as 10 weeks from date of embryo transfer.

Inclusions into the “Shared Success” program:

• You, the female, must have no IVF insurance coverage or designate to have no charges submitted to insurance. All fees accrue to the female. No charges will be billed to the male’s insurance.
• You must be less than 37 at the time of retrieval
• You must be a non smoker. Since smoking decreases your chances of conception by 50% the staff at Carolina Conceptions may test your blood at the time of retrieval for nicotine metabolites. If positive you will be excluded from the program and will be responsible for fee for service.
• You must have normal ovarian reserve testing. AMH level > 1.4 and antral follicle count greater than 12 on baseline scan. Two ovaries are required.
• You can not have significant uterine pathology (fibroids, polyps, scarring or septum)
• You can not have had two or more miscarriages
• You can not have fluid filled fallopian tubes (hydrosalpinges)
• You must have sperm available for insemination. If you have blocked vas deferens this does not exclude you, IF you have documented sperm in your testicular biopsy.
• If the sperm count is less than 5 million your husband must have a normal karyotype and your body mass index must be more than 19 and less than 27.
• You must agree to fertilize all mature eggs and freeze extra embryos

Prior participation in this shared success program or any other IVF cycle prevents participation.