Costs

email this page print this page

Our Fees for 2010

While Medicare covers most Monash IVF services, the fees associated with providing Assisted Reproductive Technologies can be confusing. To help you understand our fee structure, we have provided answers below to some of the common questions we are asked about our fees:

How much of the Monash IVF fee is covered by Medicare?

Most items within the Monash IVF fee have a Medicare rebate, which means that Medicare will pay part of the cost of your treatment cycle. In addition, the Medicare Safety Net provides an additional refund of up to 80% of your out-of-pocket-costs for out-of-hospital services for items billed with a Medicare item number. The actual refund from the Safety Net is difficult to estimate, as each IVF treatment is individually tailored to suit each patient. The amount of the Safety Net rebate also depends on how much you have spent on eligible services in the calendar year. Please refer to the Medicare website for the current Safety Net threshold. (www.medicareaustralia.gov.au)

Even though each person has different circumstances, the Safety Net can significantly reduce your out of pocket costs. Depending on the type of treatment and whether the Safety Net threshold has been reached, the final out-of-pocket cost for a patient with Private Health Insurance could be as low as $2146.00 for each subsequent standard stimulated IVF cycle in a calendar year. For more information on the Medicare Safety Net, please contact Medicare on 132011 or you can contact our Accounts Receivable department on (03) 9429 9188.

An Example of the Monash IVF Fee Structure from January 1, 2010- Monash IVF Melbourne

* Note: The Medicare Safety Net Rebate applies once a qualifying patient has reached their safety net threshold. The figure quoted above is only indicative as it is difficult for Monash IVF Pty Ltd to determine when a patient will reach their threshold.

The prices are indicative and may be varied at any time without notice.

Please ask your clinic for exact costs relating to your treatment cycle as prices vary at some sites and are subject to change.

What do the Monash IVF fees include?

Our fees cover all of the services provided by Monash IVF and your Monash IVF Specialist  during your treatment cycle:

• Planning and management of your cycle by your Monash IVF Specialist Clinician and Nurse Coordinator if you have a current referral from your GP or specialist
• All blood tests during your cycle*
• All ultrasound scans during your cycle*
• Consultations with your Monash IVF counsellor
• Egg collection
• All embryology / laboratory services
• Extended embryo culture to blastocyst stage if required
• Excess embryos will be frozen and stored for 6 months at no additional charge. Storage will be charged after the initial 6  months.

* Your cycle is deemed to start on either the first day of your period or the date your FSH injections or HRT commences and ending not more than 30 days later.

NB: Additional treatments such as "Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis" (PGD) will be added into your fee and the costs advised to you prior to commencement of your cycle

What isn't included in the Monash IVF fee?

Our fees cover services provided by Monash IVF within your treatment cycle, however there are additional fees charged by Monash IVF and other providers that are not covered by our fee:

• Embryo transfer: this is billed direct to your private health fund or medicare on your behalf and is not included in the cycle fee
• Initial investigations, tests and consultations performed by your clinician prior to you commencing your IVF cycle
• Screening blood tests. You and your partner will need to have screening blood tests prior to commencing your first cycle with follow up tests each two years.
• Pre-IVF blood tests and ultrasound scans
• Additional drugs. Your treatment team may prescribe additional drugs (such as Synarel nasal spray) during the course of your cycle to maximise your chance of achieving a pregnancy
• Day surgery and anaesthetist fees. If you have private health insurance, you may be covered for these costs.  You should contact the hospital for an estimate of these costs and any excess or co-payments that may be required

Do I need to have Private Health Insurance?

No, you don't need to have private health insurance to have treatment with Monash IVF, however it does help. If you do not have private health insurance, you will have to pay fees relating to your day surgery procedure from the hospital and anaesthetist. You should contact the hospital for an estimate of these costs. 

NB: Private Health Insurance will also help cover the costs relating to childbirth.

When are the fees due?

Fees become due at various times prior to the commencement of your cycle.  Below is a timeline of when fees are due and when you become eligible for Medicare rebates:

• Nurse interview and collection of drugs (FSH) your cycle pre-payment is due
• Embryo transfer: after your transfer, Monash IVF will submit your invoice ON-LINE to Medicare.
• Medicare will process a rebate cheque drawn in favour of your Monash IVF Specialist. This will be posted to you and can take up to 4 weeks.  You need to forward this cheque to Monash IVF.
• Once the cheque is received by Monash IVF we will issue you with an invoice/recepit of your completed cycle.  You can take this to Medicare to claim your Safety Net rebate if you are eligible.