Travelling from Australia for IVF Treatment in the USA: What You Need To Know

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is one of several techniques to enable couples, or individuals who wish to start a family without a partner, to have a baby when for whatever reason they are not able to conceive naturally.

Of course, there are many patients who are entitled to Medicare funding for treatment in Australia. However, the amount of funding is influenced by a range of criteria, including age limits, specific treatments sought, and other factors which would suggest a low probability of success for a woman using her own eggs.

Another deciding factor for prospective patients could be the length of the waiting list for their chosen clinic. After enduring potentially years of fertility problems, many Australians may prefer to fund treatment at the right time for them, than go onto a very long waiting list causing further stress and anxiety.

Private treatment for IVF in Australia can reportedly cost anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000 or more for one treatment cycle, excluding the cost of necessary drugs and other extra requirements. As such, an increasing number of people seeking IVF treatment may consider going overseas, particularly to the USA, to access the treatment they are seeking. Hawaii is around a 10-hour flight from Sydney where clinics are reported to be very much on a par with those available back home, hence it and the USA in general have proven to be popular destinations for this particular type of what has become known as ‘medical tourism’.

In addition, depending on the specific treatments available, for some people, going overseas may offer them a statistically higher chance of achieving a successful pregnancy and their desired outcome, than waiting for or even privately funding their treatment in Australia.  

What is IVF?

In short, IVF involves fertilising an egg with a sperm in an incubator, with the aim of achieving a pregnancy.

The first step in the IVF treatment itself is stimulation of the ovaries with drug treatment to encourage the release of multiple eggs, whereas only a single egg would normally be released during a monthly cycle.  

Such treatment is usually carried out via self-administered injections which the chosen clinic will normally show patients how to carry out. After this course of drug treatment, these eggs are then collected from the ovaries. The eggs are then fertilised in a laboratory, where the fertilised egg (embryo) is allowed to develop for up to five days, after which time it is transferred into the womb of the woman who will carry the baby to term.

In Australia, IVF using anonymous egg donors is restricted, whereas in Hawaii and the USA this is very much an option for patients, particularly where they do not have a current partner. Similarly, Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening (PGS) is also a much sought after treatment in the world of fertility. This screening helps detect abnormalities in an IVF embryo to identify the chances of an unhealthy pregnancy or harm to the baby.

In Australia this screening procedure is only available where there is significant risk of a genetic abnormality, and this can be proven and evidenced by the prospective parents. PGS screening also opens up the option of gender selection, which for some is what they are seeking. This too, is not permitted in Australia.

What is involved in the procedure?

After all initial consultations, health screening and specific fertility tests are completed, some of which may be transferable in terms of results from tests carried out back home in Australia, the ovarian stimulation process can begin.

Typically, there may be four appointments with your selected clinic:

-consultation

-stimulation

-egg retrieval

-embryo transfer

Aftercare

Once the embryo transfer process is complete, patients are likely to leave the clinic a short time later and can then travel back to Australia. Of course, flight times can be long, so the patient will be advised to wait until they are up to the return journey.

A pregnancy test can be carried out 14 days after the embryo transfer and once a pregnancy is confirmed, the patient can be given all relevant care via their regular doctor back home.

Your stay overseas

Even with the cost of travel and accommodation, some people will find that getting their IVF treatment overseas is more cost effective than in Australia. However, most medical travel insurance providers might not insure the individual against trips for the purpose of IVF. Or there may be exclusions to the policy which mean that you are not covered in the event of certain complications.

In contrast, Medical Travel Shield Australia’s medical travel insurance for IVF treatment in the USA or overseas includes hysteroscopy procedures and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) which can be a life-threatening condition. For more information contact us on  MTSAus@atcis.com.au or call +61 (0) 3 9258 1777.

This content is based on a variety of third-party sources and is for information purposes only and Medical Travel Shield Australia is not recommending elective IVF treatment, or any other surgical procedure overseas. This information is not medical advice, and for advice on your specific needs you should always consult your medical practitioner.