IVF Treatment Cost in South Africa

So, What Are The Costs Of IVF Treatment In South Africa?

At the time of writing, a guideline of the cost for one cycle of IVF treatment for some of the types of IVF treatment available at Medfem Fertility Clinic in Sandton, Johannesburg was:

IVF/ICSI Treatment: ± R91,672.00

* ± R108,275.00 (PGT-A: Chromosomal testing excluded)
* ± R123.780.00 (PGT-A: Chromosomal testing included)

(Please note that Next Biosciences Laboratory will do further testing on the embryos and send a separate invoice of ±R4000.00 per embryo).

You can visit this page for updated estimates of the current costs.

While these estimates of the cost of a cycle of certain types IVF treatment may provide an idea, it is not possible to provide a one-size-fits-all answer regarding the cost of your IVF treatment, because each couple faces a unique set of fertility challenges.

This means there are many variables that affect the costs – for example, what tests or investigations are needed, the type of IVF procedures required during the stages of IVF; and the kind of medicine necessary. There is also the possibility of multiple treatment cycles. In addition, there are options available for funding these costs.

A look at all these issues will provide a more realistic view of what costs may be involved.

What Impacts The Costs of IVF Treatment?

Each patient is unique. The fertility treatments that may be required varies from patient to patient and testing and treatment plan recommendations are based on individual circumstances.

For example, a diagnosis may be relatively easy to make, or may require extensive investigative procedures, and some couples may require a wider range of the services offered by a fertility clinic than others.

This makes the initial consultation with your fertility specialist so crucial – an accurate diagnosis is paramount to subsequent success. The cost of an initial consultation is R2,920.00 and does not include the cost of investigations and tests.. To see what the current costs are, please visit medfem.co.za/treatment-costs.

Certain investigations and tests will be required, depending on your unique circumstances. For example, blood tests are necessary to measure hormone levels, such as a FSH which will provide an indication of ovarian function, and the measurement of Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) which will provide an evaluation of ovarian reserve.

Below is a brief overview of some of the investigation costs at the time of writing. To see what the current costs are, please visit medfem.co.za/treatment-costs.

Investigation Costs

* Female blood tests: Up to ±R4,936.00 (depending on the tests requested)
* Male blood tests: Up to ±R2,058.00 (depending on the tests requested)
* Semen Analysis: R2,081.00

During your initial consultation, it may be found that further or additional testing is required.

Procedures Involved in In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)

It is also helpful to understand that IVF treatment is not a single process. In addition to the processes already discussed above – such as the consultation and the testing – IVF treatment also involves a series of procedures performed to complete a treatment cycle.

IVF treatment involves five basic stages. The first stage involves ovarian stimulation and monitoring; which is followed by the egg retrieval in stage two. During stage three the eggs that have been retrieved are fertilised in the lab and the resulting embryo is nurtured until the embryo can be transferred into the uterus in stage four. The process from commencement of ovarian stimulation in Stage 1 up to the embryo transfer in Stage 4 usually takes just under three weeks.

The last stage is waiting for the required time to pass to have a pregnancy test and find out if the IVF cycle resulted in a pregnancy.

Many of these procedures involved in the five stages require significant expertise in terms of medical, nursing, scientific and pathology staff as well as advanced equipment. The specific procedures required in terms of your personalised protocol will also depend on your unique, individualised treatment plan.

Similarly, there are also medications and fertility injections that accompany these processes. The medications required will also vary from patient to patient, as will the cost.
Furthermore, more than one treatment cycle may be required.

Multiple Treatment Cycles

While the success rate of IVF is high, for the majority of couples multiple treatment cycles may be necessary. For example, women who are in better physical and emotional shape have a better chance of success with IVF treatment.

At Medfem Fertility Clinic, we are proud of our IVF pregnancy rates of around 50 percent, well above the standard success rates in South Africa. However, not every IVF treatment is successful, and women may need to undergo more than one cycle of treatment and, in many cases, several.

How Can I Manage The Cost Of IVF Treatment?

Fertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF), are not covered by most open medical aids in South Africa. Most medical aids in South Africa also do not cover the cost of the initial appointment.

However, there are medical aids that will pay for part of the costs and many that pay for treatment of issues related to infertility, for example surgical procedures for blocked fallopian tubes, the removal of cysts in the womb and endometriosis treatments.

However, there are also certain medical aids that do cover fertility treatments on selected plans, subject to cover limits. Most recently, Discovery Health Medical Scheme announced will be providing cover for fertility treatments in 2021, subject to a number of terms and conditions.

This is not only great news for Discovery members on the top packages, but also for other Discovery members and members as other medical schemes. This is because Discovery is the country’s largest medical scheme and its decision to provide cover for fertility treatments – even if only for the top packages initially – will certainly create a precedent in the market for other medical schemes in South Africa to follow suit.

Whether you are already a member of Discovery Health Medical Scheme, or if you are a member of another medical scheme, the only way to be certain whether you qualify for cover for fertility treatments is to ask your medical aid to confirm in writing which costs related to the treatments required will be covered.

Fortunately, there is also finance available for the cost of IVF treatment and other fertility treatments through private sector companies. Your fertility specialist will be able to provide more information in this regard.

At Medfem Fertility Clinic, we will confirm all the costs for your specific IVF treatment plan in writing to ensure you have a full view of the cost implications before going ahead with any procedures. Your fertility specialist will also explain the costs of different treatment components and whether certain payments need to be made at a specific time, such as pre-payments before treatment begins.

Fertility Funding

You can also get funding through MEDIFIN

MEDIFIN makes loans available for Fertility treatments.

You can find out more by clicking here…

Or directly apply here.

Your Next Step

Your next step in determining the cost of your fertility treatment is as simple as by clicking here or contacting us telephonically on +27 (11) 463 2244 to book an initial consultation with one of our fertility specialists to plan your journey to parenthood.

We look forward to meeting you!