Medications

[Anonymous]

Anyone know of pharmacies that are on the cheaper side?
My insurance covered CVS Caremark but I have exhausted the max amount allowed, so we'll have to pay out of pocket for medications, which are soooo expensive!
Wondering if there're other options that can be a little easier on the pocket. Suggestions most welcome!

Also, out-of-pocket payers - how much did you end up paying for a cycle - medications, retrieval, and/or transfer?
This is straining us financially and emotionally, wondering if we should just throw in the towel and keep trying naturally

[Anonymous]

It varies by medication. Grubb's in DC is more expensive but convenient, Freedom Fertility usually has discounts, Ambulatory Care in Rockville, Hann's, Mandell's, Alexander's Twin Pharmacy, and another in New Jersey (maybe Schraft's?). IVFpharmacy is usually the cheapest but it is overseas and not sure how that would work during the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

It is so expensive, we have no insurance coverage either. We are shared risk with SG and I am old, so we paid 28,500 for up to six retrievals and transfers and testing for any embryos. It also includes all monitoring appointments - I am not sure if others have a co-pay each time? If we don’t take home a baby, we get the money back. We have done two cycles, meds vary, but have been about 7,000 a round.

[Anonymous]

Winfertility has discounts but you have to order at least two mediciatons. I think menupur is cheapest at Freedom. Call around and compare prices. You can also save money by ordering less than you need ( 6-7 days worth) initially and then ordering more as you need. Order 300 IU of gonal F or follistim instead of 900. There is more overfill in the vials/pens and you will waste less medicine. Find out if your insurance covers anything. My insurance did not cover IVF medicines but for some reason covered progesterone in oil and estrogen. Find cheaper alternatives. As a rule PIO is usually cheaper OOP than endometrin and doctors can sub one for another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is so expensive, we have no insurance coverage either. We are shared risk with SG and I am old, so we paid 28,500 for up to six retrievals and transfers and testing for any embryos. It also includes all monitoring appointments - I am not sure if others have a co-pay each time? If we don’t take home a baby, we get the money back. We have done two cycles, meds vary, but have been about 7,000 a round.

Did they cover medications as well?
The Shared Risk is only until 40 years old?

[Anonymous]

Definitely call around with specific medication names and be willing to buy from different pharmacies. Another one to try that I didn’t see on the above list is SMP (South Miami Pharmacy).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is so expensive, we have no insurance coverage either. We are shared risk with SG and I am old, so we paid 28,500 for up to six retrievals and transfers and testing for any embryos. It also includes all monitoring appointments - I am not sure if others have a co-pay each time? If we don’t take home a baby, we get the money back. We have done two cycles, meds vary, but have been about 7,000 a round.

Did they cover medications as well?
The Shared Risk is only until 40 years old?

No, they do not cover medications. Those are extra, out of pocket. I believe they will do shared risk for women after 40 if they are using donor eggs, but I don't believe it is allowed with your own eggs after 39-40.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is so expensive, we have no insurance coverage either. We are shared risk with SG and I am old, so we paid 28,500 for up to six retrievals and transfers and testing for any embryos. It also includes all monitoring appointments - I am not sure if others have a co-pay each time? If we don’t take home a baby, we get the money back. We have done two cycles, meds vary, but have been about 7,000 a round.

Did they cover medications as well?
The Shared Risk is only until 40 years old?

No, they do not cover medications. Those are extra, out of pocket. I believe they will do shared risk for women after 40 if they are using donor eggs, but I don't believe it is allowed with your own eggs after 39-40.

Ah, thanks for the info!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely call around with specific medication names and be willing to buy from different pharmacies. Another one to try that I didn’t see on the above list is SMP (South Miami Pharmacy).

Thanks! I also asked Village Fertility Pharmacy, they seemed pretty reasonable (less than 4k for a full cycle)

[Anonymous]

Great tip re using different pharmacies to get the best prices. My clinic balked at calling in to more than one pharmacy but I insisted.

[Anonymous]

OP here.
I came back to recommend Hann's Pharmacy if you are in NOVA. I don't know if they ship but I got the best rates there. And Joel is so helpful, he even called my insurance to "bargain" with using my leftover benefits to fill a couple of prescriptions. They also recommend a couple more places where you could also apply for additional benefits.

[Anonymous]

I know this is an older post, but curious if any tips/recent changes anyone starting should know? I'm starting my first egg freezing cycle in a month or so and calling around pharmacies to compare (paying out of pocket with no insurance coverage).

[Anonymous]

I ordered my menopur and tonal from ivfpharmacy (overseas). They were great. I saved a lot of money and they were super easy to work with. I highly recommend. The only downside is the menopur liquid comes in glass ampules you have to break open. It took some practice (and many YouTube videos).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I ordered my menopur and tonal from ivfpharmacy (overseas). They were great. I saved a lot of money and they were super easy to work with. I highly recommend. The only downside is the menopur liquid comes in glass ampules you have to break open. It took some practice (and many YouTube videos).

Hmm, how do you know it's legit if its from overseas? Also - I'm clumsy so anything in glass is probably a no-go for me lol! But thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I ordered my menopur and tonal from ivfpharmacy (overseas). They were great. I saved a lot of money and they were super easy to work with. I highly recommend. The only downside is the menopur liquid comes in glass ampules you have to break open. It took some practice (and many YouTube videos).

Hmm, how do you know it's legit if its from overseas? Also - I'm clumsy so anything in glass is probably a no-go for me lol! But thanks!

NP and LOL, I remember those little glass ampules! I got some of my meds from Germany and they came in those. I am also clumsy but truly they are not a big deal to open, PP. They just snap off at the top - they're well designed.

Also ivfpharmacy is very well-known in the IVF community. They're definitely legit. I didn't order from them but know several people who have used them successfully to obtain lower-priced meds than you can get here in the US with no problem. The prices in this country are outrageous, unfortunately.