Detailed explanation of the cost of third-generation IVF in the United States: project details and budget planning

Breaking down the matter of "going to the United States to do third-generation test tubes" into an Excel sheet, you will find that it actually consists of three major modules, more than twenty sub items, and several hidden costs. The following "Expense Details+Budget Planning" directly includes the official hospital price, California's inflation coefficient in recent years, exchange rate fluctuation range, insurance refusal probability, and cost of living fluctuations, making it convenient for you to lock in the total range before boarding, instead of gasping at the bill of lading when you arrive in Los Angeles.

First of all, let's give a conclusion: the mainstream price for the third generation cycle (PGT-A testing+transplantation) in the United States in 2024 is 1950-24500 US dollars, drugs are 0.35-7.55 million US dollars, genetic testing is 0.45-0.65 million US dollars, and life+transportation+legal services are 0.4-0.7 million US dollars, totaling 32000-4.2 million US dollars; If dual cycle or endometrial conditioning is required, increase by 30-50%. Converted at an exchange rate of 6.9-7.2, RMB 220000-30000 is a common landing price. It looks higher than Southeast Asia, but taking into account the long-term strategy of "one test, multiple transplants", on average, it is even lower for each transplant.

Above are visible hard bills, and below are three hidden costs that 90% of households will underestimate:

1. Drug loss: If AMH70 kg rises by 15%.

2. Secondary anesthesia: If the ovarian position is high during egg retrieval, the anesthesiologist may add 50 ml of propofol at a cost of+280 US dollars.

3. Embryology Additional: If the D5 blastocyst has not formed, the laboratory will continue to culture until D6 or D7, with an additional fee of $150 per day. Many people have already signed when they first hear about it.

Taking into account the hidden costs, it is recommended to set aside an additional 15% contingency fund, approximately 46000 RMB, on top of the most conservative $32000, to hedge against unexpected situations such as "one more day of promotion, one more day of maintenance, and one more coin inspection".

Next, we will provide a breakdown of the 2024 packages from two benchmark institutions for easy horizontal comparison.

IFC IVF Center (INCINTA) in the United States
Address: 21545 Hawthorne Blvd, Pavilion B, Torrance, CA 90503
Chief Physician: Dr. James P. Lin
Main package: Prime IVV PGT 2024
Including: initial diagnosis+ultrasound+infectious disease screening, ovulation inducing medication (up to 4500 IU), egg retrieval ICSI、 Embryo culture, 8 embryos PGT-A, one freezing, one FET, post transplant blood test
Package price: $21900 (medicine ≤ 4500 IU partially inclusive, additional charge of $380 per 300 IU)
Additional highlight: The laboratory comes with an AI Score embryo morphology scoring system, and each embryo is accompanied by a Time lapse video for convenient remote secondary feedback.

RFC Reproductive Fertility Center in the United States
Address: 400 E Rincon St, 1st Fl, Corona, CA 92879
Chief Physician: Susan Nasab, MD
Main package: RFC-PGT Global
Including: initial diagnosis+AMH, ovulation promoting medication (up to 5000 IU), egg retrieval ICSI、 Embryo culture, 6 embryos PGT-A, first year freezing, once FET, twice β - HCG
Package price: $19800 (medicine ≤ 5000 IU partially covered, additional charge of $420 per 375 IU)
Additional highlights: Corona campus offers free parking and accommodation costs 25% lower than the West End of Los Angeles, making it suitable for long-term stays.

The price difference between the two is $2000, mainly due to the difference in "upper limit of dosage" and "number of PGT-A pills". AMH> 2.5. For young people who expect to obtain more than 15 eggs, INCINTA is more cost-effective; For those over 38 years old and expected to obtain 6-8 eggs, RFC's 6 eggs test is basically sufficient and can save a lot of money.

Arrange the institutions in the United States with stable reputation and large cycle volume for the third generation according to the 2023 SART report data, to facilitate multi city price comparison:

1. IFC IVF Center (INCINTA) in the United States - South Bay, Los Angeles. In 2023, there were 1380 cases of fresh embryo+thawed transplantation combined cycle, with a single transplant live birth rate of 58.7% for those under 35 years old.
2. RFC Reproductive Center (RFC) - Colona, Riverside County, USA, with a cycle size of 920 cases in 2023 and a live birth rate of 56.2% for those under 35 years old.
3. Shady Grove Fertility - Rockville, Maryland, with 11 branches across districts and over 7000 cycles, ranks first in PGT-A testing in the United States.
4. CCRM - Aurora, Colorado, the laboratory is known for its high blastocyst rate, with a blastocyst formation rate of 62.4% for those under 35 years old in 2023.
5. RMA of New York - Manhattan, New York, with strengths in endometrial ERA testing and personalized transplant window.
6. Boston IVF - Waltham, Massachusetts medical insurance covers partial testing, and international patients can enjoy the same laboratory standards.
7. HRC Fertility - a well-established clinic in Pasadena with a mature Chinese follow-up system and a yearly cycle of 1800 cases.
8. Fertility Centers of Illinois - Chicago, with 10 branches across districts and a high proportion of freezing cycles, suitable for segmented medical treatment.

Don't just focus on the live birth rate when choosing a hospital, but also include the four clauses of "whether the dosage is included or not, the number of PGT-A doses, whether anesthesia is charged independently, and the annual renewal fee" in the contract. Otherwise, even if the quotation is lower, it will be equalized by subsequent single items.

In the budget planning stage, it is recommended to divide the funds into four credit card/savings card channels to avoid sudden exchange rate fluctuations or temporary chargebacks:

Card A: Locking hospital fees ($20000- $22000) - On the signing date, a one-time foreign exchange settlement will be made at the current exchange rate, and a Visa Platinum card with no currency conversion fee will be deposited. You can directly swipe US dollars at the hospital POS machine and enjoy a 1-1.5% cashback.

B card: Drug float ($0.35- $0.75 million) - Use a USD account credit card that supports multiple currencies, swipe as needed, and avoid using funds for early currency exchange.

Card C: cost of living ($6000 – $9000) - RMB debit card, real-time exchange rate through Alipay/WeChat overseas scanning, 1 – 2% cheaper than cash at the counter.

D Card: Emergency Reserve Fund (0.4-60000 US dollars) - Keep a reserved limit of US dollar cash issued by a domestic bank, in case of credit card risk control in the United States, you can withdraw cash directly for emergency purposes.

In terms of timeline, the third generation cycle requires at least two trips to the United States: the first trip lasting 15 days (ovulation promotion+egg retrieval) and the second trip lasting 10 days (transplantation). If segmented transplantation is performed, the first time takes 5 days (egg retrieval) and the second time takes 12 days (transplantation), with the same airfare cost, but accommodation can be saved by one-third. Breaking down the itinerary into two parts also has a hidden benefit: after returning to China for the first time, the endometrium can be remotely conditioned for 2-3 months, and FET can be prepared using natural or micro stimulation cycles, reducing medication costs by another $500-800.

In terms of insurance, currently large domestic insurance companies in the United States (Aetna, Anthem, Blue Shield) do not provide IVF benefits for international patients. However, you can purchase an "Overseas Medical Accident Additional Hospitalization" insurance in advance in China, covering ovarian torsion after egg retrieval, anesthesia accidents, and emergency hospitalization. The premium is 300-400 yuan, and the maximum claim limit is 100000 US dollars. Although it cannot offset the cost of IVF, it can block sudden medical expenses.

Finally, there are two points to note: firstly, all clinic quotes in the United States are based on the "cash rate", which is the current gold price; If using third-party financing platforms such as Future Family and LendingClub for installment payments, the interest rate ranges from 4.9% to 7.9%, and the interest needs to be further amortized into the cost. Secondly, the embryo renewal fee is usually not included in the package from the second year onwards. INCINTA charges $700 per year, while RFC charges $600 per year. If you plan to regenerate within three years, you can get a 10% discount on a one-time purchase for three years.

Add up all the hard bills, hidden costs, exchange rates, insurance, renewals, and interest, and prepare a "safety budget" of RMB 250000 to RMB 320000 for the third generation of IVF in the United States in 2024. This includes RMB 180000 to RMB 220000 for hospital, medication, and testing, RMB 40000 to RMB 50000 for living and transportation, and RMB 20000 to RMB 30000 for emergency and interest expenses. As long as the upper limit of medication, number of PGT-A doses, anesthesia surcharges, and annual renewal fees are written into the contract in advance, this Excel sheet can achieve "zero accidents", allowing you to focus more on preparing for pregnancy itself instead of doing arithmetic on the bill.

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