The costs of fertility treatment – what is covered by health insurance

The cost of fertility treatment

The cost of fertility treatment can vary considerably depending on the provider and depends on various factors. Most fertility treatments are carried out in so-called treatment cycles – a series of steps aimed at achieving pregnancy. The duration of a cycle varies depending on the type of treatment, but is usually between 4 and 6 weeks. In order to be able to compare costs, they are usually given in treatment cycles.

We have compiled the costs for the most common methods for you.

In vitro fertilization (IVF)

The cost of IVF treatment is usually between CHF 5,000 and CHF 7,000 per treatment cycle. A treatment cycle comprises the implementation and monitoring of the therapy (stimulation), the collection of the eggs (puncture), the cultivation of eggs and embryos (laboratory) and the transfer of the embryos into the uterus (transfer).

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)

ICSI is a specialized form of IVF in which a single sperm cell is injected directly into the egg cell. The cost of ICSI is between CHF 5,000 and CHF 7,000 per treatment cycle.

Medication

For the maturation of the egg cells (stimulation) we need medication for all methods, i.e. the messenger substances of the pituitary gland. The additional costs for this amount to CHF 1,000 to 2,000, depending on the product and the dose required.

Cryopreservation and storage of surplus fertilized eggs/embryos

The basic cost is CHF 700 and the storage fee in our cryotanks with state-of-the-art security systems is CHF 400 per year.

Social freezing

Oocyte retrieval and freezing for non-medical reasons costs between CHF 4,500 and CHF 5,500 per cycle. A treatment cycle comprises the implementation and monitoring of the therapy (stimulation) and the retrieval of the eggs (puncture).

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)

The cost of PGD is between CHF 2,000 and CHF 5,000 in addition to the cost of ICSI treatment. In this method, the embryos are examined for genetic abnormalities before transfer.

Individual cost breakdown for you

It is important to note that, depending on the treatment plan, additional costs for medication, examinations and other services may be incurred. We will discuss the costs of your fertility treatment with you personally before treatment begins.

Die Grundversicherung in der Schweiz bietet verschiedene Leistungen zur Unterstützung bei unerfülltem Kinderwunsch an. These include:

• Consultation and diagnosis: Before starting treatment, a comprehensive consultation and diagnosis is carried out. Basic insurance covers the costs of tests to determine the causes of infertility in both men and women. These include, for example, sperm analyses and hormone analyses.
• Hormone treatments: If hormonal disorders are the cause of the unfulfilled desire to have children, hormone treatments can help. Basic insurance covers the costs of hormone treatment to stimulate the ovaries for up to one year, which usually corresponds to 6-12 cycles
• Intrauterine insemination (IUI): The costs of up to three inseminations with the partner’s sperm are also covered by basic insurance

Other fertility treatments (such as IVF or ICSI) are not covered by basic insurance and usually have to be financed by the patient themselves or can be covered by supplementary insurance. In addition, there is usually a deductible for the couples, although the basic insurance covers part of the costs.

Requirements for the assumption of costs

In order for the health insurance company to cover the costs of fertility treatment, the following requirements must be met:

• Age: The woman should be younger than 40 years old
• Medical indication: there must be a medical necessity for the treatment

What supplementary insurance pays

Swiss supplementary insurance policies offer the option of covering some or all of the costs of fertility treatment, especially if basic insurance is not sufficient. The amount of cost coverage can vary considerably depending on the insurance offer and the specific treatment method. It is important to find out about the various supplementary insurances in advance and request an individual comparison to get an overview of which health insurance companies offer to cover the costs.

The following costs can be covered by supplementary insurance:

• Additional IUI treatments: Basic insurance usually covers up to three IUI attempts. Supplementary insurance can cover the costs of further tests.
• IVF and ICSI treatments: Some supplementary insurances cover part of the costs of IVF or ICSI treatments, including egg retrieval (puncture), fertilization and embryo transfer.
• Prenatal tests and genetic examinations: Some supplementary insurances also contribute to the costs of genetic examinations of the embryo and prenatal tests.
• Costs for medication and examinations: Supplementary insurance can also cover the costs of medication, ultrasound examinations and other tests that are required as part of fertility treatment.

Find out in good time about the benefits provided by your health insurance company and the formal steps you need to take. Most health insurance companies only reimburse fertility treatments after a waiting period has expired. If you would like to change your health insurance provider, find out about the deadlines and conditions for the assumption of costs for fertility treatment at an early stage. It is also good to know that some supplementary insurance policies have to be terminated in September and not in November. If you change your supplementary insurance, it’s worth looking at your policy twice. You should also take advantage of the advice offered by health insurance companies and specialized advice centers.

If you have decided to undergo fertility treatment, we recommend that you organize all medical documents and correspondence with your health insurance provider.