shared risk at Shady Grove

[Anonymous]

Did shared risk at SG and had twins on first cycle. No regrets. We were out of pocket and using donor sperm due to severe MF issues. At the point of doing shared risk, we had already spent $50k+ on IF tx with two other clinics and 3 IUIs w/ SG (relocated here while TTC). Having spent a small fortune already, we wanted to minimize risk and expense. Since we ended up with twins, we think of shared risk as costing the same, overall, as two successful cycles.

[Anonymous]

OP, here. We did shared risk. Thanks for all your insights. I think the piece of mind was worth it. I feel good with the decision. Please send some good wishes my way.

[Anonymous]

Good luck! Will you let us know how it goes?

[Anonymous]

I did shared risk and for me it was about not having as much pressure on that one cycle. If we had opted to just pay the 10k I think I would have been way more wound up and tense about the cycle working. With Shared Risk at least I knew if it didn't work the first time, we could either try again or pull out and get our money back. I conceived on the first cycle and I have no regrets about going with Shared Risk. But I'm wound pretty tight already and the stress probably would have put me in the loony bin. You might be way more relaxed than I was.

[Anonymous]

Can you explain why some of you were "kicked" out of the program. I am considering doing a shared risk program and want to better understand what standards they are using to end your pariticipation in the program.

[Anonymous]

That is wrong if SG can kick a patient out of a shared risk program when they see the patient's care may impose extra costs due to the likely need for multiple cycles. In the opposite scenario, they reap the benefits when a couple pays up for shared risk and the woman gets pregnant in the first cycle.

I can't see how medical judgment could warrant their refusal to accept the consequences of their bargain when it becomes costly to them. Many women pay for each cycle and undergo multiple cycles with low odds of success. As long as there is informed consent, RE's usually take their money.

With the shared risk program, if SG can kick you out when they see your chances are far lower than they initially predicted, that really means all the program does is produce gains for the company. I'm really disillusioned with the ART field. It's a business more than any other medical specialty.

For a good discussion of the problems with these programs, see http://www.harvardjol.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/115-166.pdf (proposing regulations for shared risk programs in order to protect patients)

[Anonymous]

SG let me do 3 cycles with shared risk even though by the end the odds of success were slim (second cycle had gone very badly with only one embryo making it to day 3). I actually liked doing shared risk because I thought the incentives were aligned -- in that they did not have an incentive to try to convince me to keep doing cycles (and pay more $$$) even if I had only a tiny chance of success. The only potential problem I saw was possible pressure to transfer more embryos, but I never experienced that.