Ice, ice, baby: How much does egg freezing cost?

What is egg freezing?

Egg freezing is the process of collect eggs from the ovaries, then putting them on ice for a few years. The eggs are then fertilised externally placed into the uterus later. It's mainly used for people who aren't ready to have a baby, but want to increase their chances of being able to conceive later in life, which can be harder than when they're young for a number of reasons. By freezing eggs, they can be stored for many years without deteriorating.

Is egg freezing covered by Medicare?

The cost of freezing your eggs will only be covered by Medicare when medically necessary. Medically necessary situations might include:

• Someone going in for endometriosis treatment, which can impact future fertility.
• Having a reduced stock of eggs as a result of chemotherapy.
• Anticipating a reduced stock of eggs because of upcoming chemotherapy.
• Someone at risk of early menopause, or some other condition that would impair fertility.

Elective egg freezing is not covered by Medicare, so you'll need to pay for it out of pocket.

Is elective egg freezing covered by private health insurance?

Elective egg freezing isn't covered by private health insurance. However, there are a lot of different costs that you'll need to pay during the egg freezing process, and some of these can be covered if you have a comprehensive hospital policy.

Specifically, gold tier private health insurance can help cover these associated costs, paying benefits towards your anaesthetist and doctors' fees and providing cover for theatre and accommodation fees in a private hospital. You'll need gold tier because it covers the treatment category 'assisted reproductive services'.

Gold polices start at around $170 a month, but could end up saving you thousands if you do go through with egg freezing. A gold policy is also what you'll need if you want to give birth in a private hospital.

The average cost of egg freezing

The cost of the entire egg freezing process varies depending on the clinic you go to. the the egg retrieval and freezing procedure itself, we found quotes ranging from around $4,000 to $9,000 per cycle, depending on whether it's medical or elective.

Those costs aren't all though - there are a few thousands dollars more to pay in associated fees, like medication accomodation during surgery. Just the medication prep your body for surgery can be north of $3,000, while your hospital bed can be a couple of thousand dollars too.

Remember too this cost is only to get the eggs out and frozen. You'll then be paying a similar amount again to for insemination and embryo transfer when you're ready to conceive.

What additional costs come with egg freezing?

While health insurance can't help with the cost of egg freezing itself, it can help with some of these costs if you have the right hospital cover. Here's a breakdown of some of these costs:

• Egg freezing. This generally isn't covered by Medicare or private health insurance, so you're likely to have to pay for all of it. According to Adora Fertility, egg freezing is likely to cost you around $3,800.
• Fertility medications. These are likely to cost you around $1,500 and are not generally covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Private health insurance may be able to cover some of the costs.
• Storage fee. This generally isn't covered by Medicare or private health insurance, and costs can vary from around $250 per month to $500 a year.
• Egg collection. The MBS fee is $365.50, so you'll likely have to pay a minimum of $91.35 out of pocket if you don't have private health insurance.
• Frozen embryo preparation. The MBS fee is $818.35 and the Medicare benefit is $613.80. The remaining $204.55 can be covered by private health insurance if you have it.
• Embryo transfer procedures. The MBS fee is $114.60 so you'll have a minimum of $28.65 of out-of-pocket expenses without private health insurance.
• Anaesthetist, theatre and accommodation fees. These can differ depending on who you go with, which is why you should always ask about these fees beforehand. Private health insurance can help keep these associated fees to a minimum.

Factors that impact the cost of egg freezing

Some of the main factors that impact the cost of egg freezing include:

The clinic that you want to use.

Clinics are under no obligation to adhere to a specific price, so costs can vary widely depending on where you are in the country.

Fertility medications.

These aren't covered by Medicare and can cost more than $1,500 without private health insurance.

You may need to undergo more than one egg freezing cycle.

If this is the case, it will likely cost you the exact same as the first time, which is usually around $4,000.

Anaesthetist fees.

You generally need to go under for the procedure, so you'll also encounter anaesthetist fees.

Frequently asked questions

• Why might someone consider egg freezing?

  There are a few reasons for choosing to have your eggs frozen, including:

  • You're not ready to have children but want to have the option later in life.
  • Your fertility is at risk due to a serious illness.
  • You have low anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) levels.

• Why is egg freezing not covered by Medicare?

  Because it's not considered medically necessary. If, in your situation, it is, then Medicare may cover egg freezing. In most cases though, it comes down to personal choice.

• Is egg freezing expensive?

  Without any kind of health insurance, it can be. Because it's not covered by Medicare, egg freezing can cost thousands of dollars. Luckily, top level hospital insurance provides cover for assisted reproductive services, which can reduce the cost of egg freezing and IVF.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Tim Bennett as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Gary Ross Hunter

Editor, Insurance

Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio

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