Fertility treatment costs

Our IVF cycle fees cover all parts of the IVF treatment cycle, including:

• Access to our dedicated team of professionals – both clinical and non-clinical – to assist and support you throughout the entire treatment cycle
• Extensive education on the treatment process and how to administer any medications required during the course of your cycle by Newlife’s specialist nursing team
• All mandatory counselling (with an accredited IVF counsellor)*
• All blood tests and ultrasound scans requested throughout your treatment cycle
• All laboratory and scientific work
• Phone calls from our embryologists to update you on the status of your eggs and embryos
• Access to advanced scientific techniques as part of our standard pricing, including the EmbryoScope time-lapse system, sequential media and EmbryoGlue to aid the growth, selection and transfer of embryos throughout the IVF process, as well as egg spindle visualisation for ICSI
• Egg collection and embryo transfer procedures performed by a Newlife IVF specialist
• Vitrification (freezing) of embryos
• The assistance of our patient support team to ensure you meet the requirements for IVF treatment and receive any rebates you are entitled to from Medicare in a timely manner.

* Does not include specialised counselling services, such as donor and genetic counselling,

Following your decision to commence treatment, a member of our patient finance team will contact you and walk you through the payment process, including how to receive any rebates you are entitled to from Medicare.

Fees can be paid to Newlife IVF by credit card or BPAY.

Payment plans available

Fertility treatment is a significant investment – emotionally, physically and financially – and we understand the weight of that.

In partnership with Total Lifestyle Credit (TLC), we offer flexible, low-interest payment plans to help make the cost of IVF or egg freezing more manageable, so that finances don’t stand in the way of your next step.

Our finance team is available to discuss your options, prepare treatment cost estimates and walk you through the financial aspects of each stage of treatment, so you can remain focused on your journey to parenthood. Please contact our finance team on (03) 8080 8933 for more information.

You can also apply for a payment plan directly with TLC. You will need to prove your identity, income and expenses, so please have the following documentation on hand during your application:

• Recent payslips
• Australian passport
• Medicare card
• Australian proof of age
• 90 days of bank statements
• Loan statements (if applicable)

Medications

You will need to take certain medications during the course of your IVF treatment. All medications must be dispensed by a pharmacist and collected from the pharmacy directly.

• Medicare patients: If eligible for a rebate, you’ll pay a co-payment of $42.50 per prescription medication (price as of Jan 2022). Most IVF or ICSI cycles require 4–5 prescriptions, and frozen embryo transfer cycles typically need 0–2 prescription medications, so the total medication costs usually range $200–$400. Additional prescriptions may sometimes be required.
• Private patients: All medications must be paid in full at the pharmacy. You’ll be informed of the exact cost when collecting.

Day surgery admissions and anaesthetist

All IVF-related procedures (e.g. egg collection, embryo transfer, testicular biopsy for sperm extraction) are performed in our on-site day surgery operated by Epworth Eastern. Egg collection procedures require an anaesthetic and, therefore, an anaesthetist.

If you have gold tier private health insurance, your insurer will cover the day admission and anaesthetist fees. Prior to starting IVF treatment, it is a good idea to check whether you are required to pay an annual excess or co-payment for any hospital day admissions.

The codes for these procedures, as required by your health fund, are:

• Egg collection – Item 13212
• Embryo transfer – Item 13215

If you do not have private health insurance, you will need to pay in full on the day of the procedure:

• Egg collection day admission fee: $1,355 (payable to Epworth Eastern Hospital; if you have Private Health Insurance, you may have an excess or co-payment payable)
• Egg collection anaesthetist fee: $390 (invoice will be sent to you and may be claimable through Private Health Insurance)
• Embryo transfer day admission fee: $515 (payable to Epworth Eastern Hospital; if you have Private Health Insurance, you may have an excess or co-payment payable)

Please note, day admission fees are not covered by Medicare.

You can find out more about private health insurance tiers here.

Medicare provides assistance to Australian residents undergoing fertility treatment, helping to offset the IVF costs in Melbourne and other states.

At Newlife IVF, you will need to pay your treatment cycle in full. Once the cycle is completed, a receipt is sent to Medicare, so the appropriate rebate can be processed. The full cost of the treatment cycle less the Medicare rebate represents your final ‘out-of-pocket’ cost.

At Newlife IVF, your claim will be submitted to Medicare online once you have completed your treatment cycle. You will need to ensure that your bank account details are registered with Medicare in order for your rebate to be deposited into your nominated bank account.

Medicare Safety Net

Since the Medicare Safety Net program was introduced, patients’ out-of-pocket costs for IVF are much lower, making treatment more accessible for many couples. Our estimated out-of-pocket costs are based on patients having already reached the Medicare Safety Net threshold for that calendar year. The Safety Net is an additional rebate that Medicare pays once you have incurred a set amount of medical expenses in a calendar year (in 2019, this amount is set at $2,133). It is important to note that the Safety Net is capped for all assisted reproductive technology (ART) services. Therefore, there is a limit on the Medicare Safety Net rebate you can receive.

Not all patients are automatically registered for the Safety Net Threshold. If you are the only person listed on your Medicare card, you are automatically registered. However, if you are a couple or family, you will need to formally register with Medicare for the Safety Net. You can check your registration status online at www.humanservices.gov.au or by contacting Medicare on 132 011.

Referral options

In order for patients to receive a rebate from Medicare for their IVF treatment cycle, patients must have a valid referral from the day their treatment cycle begins until it ends. Therefore, we encourage patients to obtain a referral from their GP, as these referrals are valid for 12 months. Your GP can also give you an indefinite referral, which has no expiry date. If your referral is from a specialist (rather than a GP), it will only be valid for 3 months.

The cost of a standard IVF cycle is $5,463.20 once the Medicare rebate has been applied. Subsequent cycles that fall in the same calendar year are priced at $4,747.15.

The out-of-pocket cost (after the Medicare rebate) for IVF with ICSI is $6,011.40 for the first cycle, and $5,295.35 for subsequent cycles in the same calendar year.

Yes, Medicare provides rebates for IVF treatment cycles. Treatment cycle fees are paid in full upfront, with the rebates processed after the cycle is completed, lowering the final out-of-pocket costs.

Private health insurance may cover day surgery admissions and anaesthetist fees required for egg collection procedures. Patients should confirm their coverage, including any annual excess fees, with their insurer.

Newlife IVF accepts payments via credit card and BPAY. The patient finance team will guide you through the payment process, including claiming Medicare rebates.

We offer flexible, low-interest payment plans to help make the cost of IVF or egg freezing more manageable, so that finances don’t stand in the way of your future fertility.

Payment plans are offered in partnership with TLC. Please contact out finance team on (03) 8080 8933 for more information. You can also apply for a payment plan directly with TLC.

You may be able to access your superannuation to assist with paying for your IVF treatment. You can apply directly through the ATO or get in touch with SuperCare or Access My Super if you need assistance.

In accordance with ATO guidance, to apply for early release of superannuation for reproductive treatment:

• The application falls under Compassionate release – medical treatment, to alleviate acute or chronic mental illness. Learn more about accessing super early on compassionate grounds.

Please note:

• The ATO can only approve one cycle at a time, and we can only provide you with a single quote at a time for your upcoming treatment cycle
• Super release payments are totally independent of Newlife IVF. We do not receive the funds, nor are we informed if/when they are paid to you – this process is separate from Newlife IVF. If you proceed with your application and it is successful, the funds will be deposited into your bank account. It is your responsibility to make the necessary payments to Newlife IVF by their due dates.

For further information, please contact our finance team on 03 8080 8933.