When families place their trust and their hopes for the future in the hands of a fertility clinic, being impacted by an error can be emotionally devastating. However, the emotional challenges that families face in the aftermath of a mistake during an in-vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle are only one difficulty they may experience.
The financial impact of IVF errors can add even more strain to an already difficult time. What should people know about the ways that errors in an IVF clinic could impact their family’s finances?
What is the potential financial impact of mishandling errors?
An IVF cycle is often a costly endeavor for families. The average cycle cost between $12,000 and $17,000, with medication bringing that the total cost of treatment to around $25,000. Depending on the error that occurred, clients may need to undergo another costly cycle of treatment to welcome a much-desired child into their family.
Some clients and families may view freezing eggs or embryos as an investment in their family’s future. However, mishandling of frozen eggs or embryos could lead them to be misplaced, be destroyed or otherwise become unviable. Egg-freezing cycles can cost between $6,000 and $20,000, in addition to hundreds of dollars in yearly storage costs, and errors leave families without the benefit of that investment.
Errors made during an IVF cycle can be costly for families hoping to welcome a child into the world. Thankfully, legal options are available to help ease that financial burden.