Cost of Local Monitoring?

[serafina]

It looks like if I take the leap into high tech that I will need to travel for the IVF/PGD procedure. Which means I will need to find someplace local for monitoring. Does anyone have a rough estimate of the cost of local monitoring and what all local monitoring entails? I am new to the IVF/PDG process.

Thank you for any/all input. I am a newbie to all this :)

[nuthinbutpink]

Depends on what you have done each appointment but each blood test might be around $95 and if you need an ultrasound, that might be $200. You don't do an u/s every time though, mostly bloodwork- one or 2 tests per trip. Also, the local clinic might make you pay a consult fee to them...just depends. You do pay double when you have to do that because your IVF clinic will still charge you the full amount as if they are performing the monitoring.

[serafina]

Thank you! I had realized that it is a double charge of sorts since my clinic would include the charge in their costs as well. Sort of a bummer since I am more than 8 hours from a suitable clinic. Oh well, there is nothing about this process that is cheap is suppose.

Any tips on finding a good monitoring facility? Will anyplace do, or is there something specific I should look for?

[nuthinbutpink]

You need a real fertility clinic and they have to be open 7 days per week because it is too hard to predict when you might need them in advance. Any IVF clinic should do- you will just have to have a reason for why if they do not work with GS patients- family friend is a good one! What part of the country/world are you in? You can start by a simple google and call and ask if they provide local monitoring assistance. It needs to be someone that can get same day blood work results too.

[serafina]

Yikes! I have no idea where to begin looking for one. I am in Texas.

What do you mean about the Family Friend excuse? Im dense LOL and not understanding what you mean?

Would whatever clinic I decided to have IVF at be able to recommend a local clinic?

[nuthinbutpink]

So, when you call a clinic that does IVF for monitoring that is close to you and they ask(if they ask) why you are not cycling there and with the other clinic, you may want to have a response ready- they will see who the results are sent to.

The nurse casually asked me when I was a monitoring patient why I was cycling out of state and I told her we knew the doctor.

You just need to start googling your city/county, etc and infertility clinic or go on ASRM: Infertility, Reproduction, Menopause, Andrology, Endometriosis, Diagnosis and Treatment (http://www.SART.org) and see if there is a clinic listed there. Are you planning on going to SRIM? You can ask them if they know of a local clinic to monitor but you may have to find one yourself.

[serafina]

Oh, ok! Now I understand. That is good information to know. I would for sure have been left trying to figure something out in my head and looking like an idiot not having a good response LOL! Thank you for letting me know about that!

SRIM is one of the clinics I am considering. But I am also considering HRC as well. I am very new to this whole thing so I am sure there are things i haven't even thought of to consider yet. I wouldn't be cycling until the end of the year. So there is still time to figure it all out. :)

Thank you for all of your help!
Fi