Editing In vitro fertilisation (section)

=== Cost ===
Costs of IVF can be broken down into direct and indirect costs. Direct costs include the medical treatments themselves, including doctor consultations, medications, ultrasound scanning, laboratory tests, the actual IVF procedure, and any associated hospital charges and administrative costs. Indirect costs includes the cost of addressing any complications with treatments, compensation for the [[Gestational surrogacy|gestational surrogate]], patients' travel costs, and lost hours of productivity.<ref>{{cite report |url=https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/af2460-health-research-board-report-assisted-reproductive-technologies-inte/?referrer=/blog/publications/health-research-board-report-assisted-reproductive-technologies-international-approaches-to-public-funding-mechanisms-and-criteria-an-evidence-review/ |title=Assisted reproductive technologies: international approaches to public funding mechanisms and criteria. An evidence review. |date=2017 |publisher=Health Research Board |location=Dublin |vauthors=Keane M, Long J, O'Nolan G, Faragher L}}</ref> These costs can be exaggerated by the increasing age of the woman undergoing IVF treatment (particularly those over the age of 40), and the increase costs associated with multiple births. For instance, a pregnancy with twins can cost up to three times that of a singleton pregnancy.<ref name="Chambers_2013">{{cite journal |vauthors=Chambers GM, Adamson GD, Eijkemans MJ |date=August 2013 |title=Acceptable cost for the patient and society |journal=Fertility and Sterility |volume=100 |issue=2 |pages=319–27 |doi=10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.06.017 |pmid=23905708|doi-access=free }}</ref> While some insurances cover one cycle of IVF, it takes multiple cycles of IVF to have a successful outcome.<ref name="kff2022">{{Cite web |date=15 September 2020 |title=Coverage and Use of Fertility Services in the U.S. |url=https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/coverage-and-use-of-fertility-services-in-the-u-s/ |access-date=30 November 2022 |website=KFF |language=en-US |vauthors=Weigel G, Ranji U, Long M}}</ref> A study completed in Northern California reveals that the IVF procedure alone that results in a successful outcome costs $61,377, and this can be more costly with the use of a donor egg.<ref name="kff2022" />

The cost of IVF rather reflects the costliness of the underlying healthcare system than the regulatory or funding environment,<ref name="fs">{{cite journal |vauthors=Chambers GM, Sullivan EA, Ishihara O, Chapman MG, Adamson GD |date=June 2009 |title=The economic impact of assisted reproductive technology: a review of selected developed countries |journal=Fertility and Sterility |volume=91 |issue=6 |pages=2281–2294 |doi=10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.04.029 |pmid=19481642 |doi-access=free}}</ref> and ranges, on average for a standard IVF cycle and in 2006 United States dollars, between $12,500 in the United States to $4,000 in Japan.<ref name="fs" /> In Ireland, IVF costs around €4,000, with fertility drugs, if required, costing up to €3,000.<ref>{{cite web |date=23 September 2009 |title=Call for infertility care awareness |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0923/fertility.html |work=RTÉ News}}</ref> The cost per live birth is highest in the United States ($41,000<ref name="fs" />) and United Kingdom ($40,000<ref name="fs" />) and lowest in Scandinavia and Japan (both around $24,500<ref name="fs" />).

The high cost of IVF is also a barrier to access for disabled individuals, who typically have lower incomes, face higher health care costs, and seek health care services more often than non-disabled individuals.<ref name="ncd.gov">{{Cite web |date=3 August 2015 |title=Chapter 11: Assisted Reproductive Technologies |url=https://ncd.gov/publications/2012/Sep272012/Ch11 |access-date=7 December 2021 |website=ncd.gov |language=en |archive-date=25 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125233111/https://ncd.gov/publications/2012/Sep272012/Ch11/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Navigating insurance coverage for transgender expectant parents presents a unique challenge. Insurance plans are designed to cater towards a specific population, meaning that some plans can provide adequate coverage for gender-affirming care but fail to provide fertility services for transgender patients.<ref name="Learmonth2018">{{cite journal |vauthors=Learmonth C, Viloria R, Lambert C, Goldhammer H, Keuroghlian AS |date=September 2018 |title=Barriers to insurance coverage for transgender patients |journal=American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology |volume=219 |issue=3 |pages=272.e1–272.e4 |doi=10.1016/j.ajog.2018.04.046 |pmid=29733842 |s2cid=205373980}}</ref> Additionally, insurance coverage is constructed around a person's legally recognised sex and not their anatomy; thus, transgender people may not get coverage for the services they need, including transgender men for fertility services.<ref name="Learmonth2018" />