Infertility Insurance for Expats: Coverage and IVF Options Abroad

Expats can access international health insurance plans that include infertility treatment and investigation coverage, typically through maternity benefits. These plans often require a waiting period before coverage becomes active, so planning ahead is essential.

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For those living abroad and looking to start or grow their families, choosing a maternity insurance policy with fertility treatment coverage can help significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs. It’s possible to find global insurers that offer benefits for IVF, hormonal therapies, and diagnostic procedures, depending on the provider and plan.

This blog post from Pacific Prime will offer comprehensive information about infertility while living abroad and seeking maternity insurance with fertility treatment coverage. Discover how much out-of-pocket fertility treatments cost around the world.

You can find an overview of maternity insurance companies, coverage options, and benefits here.

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What Does International Insurance Cover for Infertility?

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Select insurance companies include infertility coverage through international health insurance in maternity plans. Maternity insurance is typically part of a comprehensive health insurance plan, and the specifics of the benefits depend on the company and policy. Be aware of waiting periods.

Tip: Check to make sure that your international maternity benefits do not exclude pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization.

Waiting Periods for Fertility and Maternity Insurance Abroad

Since infertility investigation and fertility treatments are covered under maternity insurance, if there are infertility benefits, the benefits are subject to a waiting period. That means you will need to pay premiums for the plan for a specified time before you can file claims to receive benefits.

You can read more about maternity insurance waiting periods in this blog post.

Should Expats Include Fertility Coverage in Their Health Plan?

Anyone hoping to start or grow their family while living abroad should consider an expat maternity insurance plan with infertility coverage. All maternity insurance plans have waiting periods, so you will already need to wait until you have coverage to begin your family.

Finishing the maternity insurance waiting period on a plan without fertility treatment coverage and then having difficulty trying to conceive means potentially having your infertility be considered a pre-existing condition. 

Even if your family’s infertility does not count as a pre-existing condition, you will need to find another insurance plan and wait through that waiting period as well. To avoid this wait, you can select a maternity insurance plan with fertility treatment coverage before trying to conceive.

Infertility Testing Benefits in International Insurance Plans

Many maternity health insurance plans cover the routine costs of pregnancy but do not offer benefits for infertility investigations and fertility treatments. Cigna is an international insurance provider that offers coverage for infertility investigations and treatments.

Common Infertility Causes and How Treatment Helps

The World Health Organization found that 1 in 6 individuals experiences infertility. Reasons for infertility can be because of the father or the mother. Many causes of infertility can be overcome through modern interventions like in vitro fertilization (IVF) or hormonal drugs.

Here are some of the female causes of infertility:

  • Blocked, damaged, or removed fallopian tubes can prevent a pregnancy without intervention. IVF can be used to collect the mother’s eggs, fertilize them with the father’s or a donor’s sperm, and then be implanted.
  • Ovulation disorders such as PCOS, too much prolactin, hypothalamic dysfunction, or primary ovarian insufficiency are reasons women may need fertility treatments to conceive. Fertility treatments may be hormonal medications to support conception, or the intervention may require all of the interventions provided through IVF.
  • Uterine Fibroids may also cause infertility in women. This is one reason why women may seek help through IVF to conceive children.
  • Endometriosis is a genetic condition that may result in infertility in women. The extra tissue growth in this condition may lead to scarring or other complications in conceiving children without intervention.

Here are some of the causes of male infertility:

  • Male infertility due to reduced sperm counts or insufficient sperm motility may be overcome with intrauterine insemination in some cases. In other cases, in vitro fertilization may be a more successful way for a couple to conceive.
  • Injury to the testicles may result in male infertility. IVF may or may not help couples conceive, depending on the type and extent of the testicular injury.
  • Previous infections of the genital tract are another potential cause of male infertility.
  • Blockages or damage to the man’s genital tract can prevent a male from helping his partner conceive.

Sometimes, the reason or cause of a couple’s infertility is unknown, even after testing and medical investigation.

IVF Insurance Coverage for Expats Explained

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Couples, including expats, experiencing infertility often use in vitro fertilization to conceive. Coverage for IVF depends on the maternity insurance plan. Charges for IVF are per cycle. If pregnancy is not successful in a cycle, expats may choose to try another cycle of IVF.

VUMI’s IVF coverage for expats has benefit limits per cycle. The benefit limit for one cycle of IVF is USD $2,500, and the lifetime benefit limit for IVF is USD $10,000. You should ask your insurance broker for more information about policies and benefits before selecting a plan.

IVF Costs Around the World Without Insurance

Expats have the choice to pay out-of-pocket for IVF if they do not have an insurance plan that covers fertility treatments like IVF. The cost of an IVF cycle varies from country to country, and IVF medical expenses come from the following parts of an IVF cycle.

  • The expense of the initial consultation for IVF
  • Costs of fertility treatments and hormonal drugs
  • Ultrasound scan expenses, clinic fees, anesthetics, and other basic IVF costs
  • Additional treatments may be needed depending on the mother’s health or conditions
  • The intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) price
  • Frozen embryo storage costs
  • Egg collection fees or the price for donated eggs
  • Other services like pre-implantation genetic screening

The following table compares the cost of IVF cycles in countries well known for fertility medical tourism and the United States. The represented costs assume that the eggs are from the mother seeking treatment rather than from a donor. Donated eggs are not available in every country and cost more.

Estimated Cost of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in Selected Countries
Location Cost (USD)
Spain $5,300
Ukraine $2,500
Turkey $4,500
Cyprus $2,500
Greece $3,500
Poland $3,500
India $2,000
Singapore $12,000
Malaysia $3,500
United States $23,489

Most of the data in this table is from Medicaltourism.review. Prices for the United States are an average of the total cost in eight major cities found by FertilityIQ.com.

For additional information about IVF for expats, see this Pacific Prime blog post.

Global Insurance Providers That Cover Fertility Treatments

Private International Medical Insurance (PIMI) plans with coverage for infertility can be found through insurers like Cigna, VUMI, and Morgan Price. Each one of these insurance companies offers fertility treatment coverage on one or more of their plans.

  • Cigna’s fertility treatment benefits have a 24-month waiting period and include both infertility investigation as well as fertility treatments. This coverage is available through Cigna’s Platinum Plan.
  • VUMI’s fertility treatment benefits also have a 24-month waiting period. Coinsurance is 25%, and there is a USD $2,500 benefit limit per IVF cycle with a lifetime benefit limit of $10,000.
  • Morgan Price has a 12-month waiting period for maternity benefits. Infertility coverage is available through Morgan Price’s Evolution Health Premium Plan and Evolution Health Elite Plan.

How to Compare Fertility Coverage in Health Insurance Plans

Expats can simplify shopping for fertility treatment coverage by using an insurance broker to secure a policy with the desired benefits. Insurance brokers, like Pacific Prime, represent multiple companies so that they can point out the best option for your family.

Using an insurance broker also means being able to compare quotes and coverage options side-by-side easily. Pacific Prime offers free and accessible online quotes for expats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there countries that pay for IVF?

Most countries in the European Union offer publicly funded IVF options for married couples, but this is only available to legal residents. Expats without residency status will need to pay out of pocket or use a private insurance plan.

Which country offers the best infertility treatments?

The best infertility treatments are available in the United States, Spain, Thailand, Greece, the Czech Republic, and Denmark. These countries are known for their cutting-edge medical technology. Thailand and the Czech Republic are noted for their affordability.

Does health insurance in the UAE cover infertility treatments?

Infertility treatments like IVF are covered by health insurance in the UAE when the policy includes infertility treatment coverage. Check with your health insurance company to find out if infertility treatment is covered and if there are any infertility benefit limits.

How much does in vitro fertilization cost around the world?

In vitro fertilization costs vary around the world. In countries with an advanced medical infrastructure and medical tourism, costs can range from USD $2,000 to $12,000. In the United States, IVF can easily cost $20,000 or more out-of-pocket.

Can Americans get IVF in another country?

Americans often seek in vitro fertilization (IVF) in countries with lower IVF costs. Seeking medical treatment abroad is known as medical tourism. Thailand and Spain are examples of countries with advanced medical technology in private hospitals with lower costs than the US.

Does health insurance cover infertility?

Health insurance does not always cover infertility treatments. This is true for domestic health insurance policies in the United States as well as policies for expats living abroad. There are supplemental insurance options and international health insurance plans with fertility treatment coverage.

Is there an age limit for women trying to use IVF?

There is no particular age limit for women who are trying to use in vitro fertilization (IVF) to conceive. However, success rates for IVF decrease with age. Also, be aware that the risk of complications during pregnancy increases with age.

Conclusion:

Expats who are planning to start or grow their family while living abroad can find international health insurance policies with maternity benefits that include infertility investigation and fertility treatments. 

Due to the high cost of fertility treatment like IVF, finding international health insurance with fertility benefits coverage can save you thousands on out-of-pocket costs for IVF.

Fertility treatment coverage also requires a waiting period, so plan ahead, compare private medical insurance plans, and pick a plan with fertility treatment coverage a couple of years before you may need the benefits.

You can also speak with an insurance expert for answers to your personal insurance questions online or by calling 1-800-868-1851.

Pacific Prime offers additional information about citizenship for your baby and securing birth certificates while living abroad.

Perhaps you have additional questions about maternity benefits like epidurals. Read this blog post for more information about how international maternity insurance covers epidurals.

Head of Content at Pacific Prime
Serena Fung is the Head of Content at Pacific Prime, a global insurance brokerage and employee specialist serving over 1.5 million clients in 15 offices across the world. With 6+ years of experience writing about the subject, she aims to demystify the world of insurance for readers with the latest updates, guides and articles on the blog.

Serena earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, Canada. As such, she is an avid advocate of mental health and is fascinated by all things psychology (especially if it’s cognitive psychology!).

Her previous work experience includes teaching toddlers to read, writing for a travel/wellness online magazine, and then a business news blog. These combined experiences give her the skills and insights she needs to explain complex ideas in a succinct way. Being the daughter of an immigrant and a traveler herself, she is passionate about educating expats and digital nomads on travel and international health insurance.
Serena Fung
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