That’s the average cost of raising a child until they are 18. But, all those expenses come after the baby is born. What about the cost to have the child?
If you are a couple looking into egg donation, the price to start a family can feel overwhelming. And while it’s hard to give an exact number of what an egg donor costs, here is the ultimate breakdown of precisely what you’ll be paying for.
This way, you’ll know exactly where the money is going.
Agency Fees
Some couples may be tempted to find a donor on their own. But, there are invaluable benefits that come from working with an agency, including donor databases, background checks, and vast knowledge and experience.
Agency fees cover the basic costs it takes to properly screen and vet a donor, and also connects a donor with the intended parents. From profile building to verifying donor education and health history, a lot of time is spent to make sure a donor is fit to come on at Elevate. The costs also go to the many billable hours it takes just to manage a donor and get her to the retrieval stage. From daily injection monitoring and dosage coaching, we also arrange all travel for the donor and perform pickups from the airports or retrieval location.
Just make sure you are clear about any refund policies. Find out exactly what will happen if an egg donor backs out, doesn’t pass her evaluations, or fails to produce any eggs. At Elevate, we offer the most generous refund policies in the world of egg donation. We’ve been in your shoes, and aren’t here to tie you down.
Just remember not all agencies are created equal. Finding a reputable agency is the first step to having a successful egg donation experience. Your agency will be your source of information, your personal confidant, and the communication hub as you go through the egg donation process.
Make sure you sign with an agency that follows the highest industry standards and is part of the ASRM and Seeds Union of Ethics.
Legal Service Fees
Legal contracts are used in the egg donation process to protect all parties involved. One crucial issue that is addressed is the individual rights of the egg donor and the intended parents. The egg donor will need to relinquish all rights to the eggs voluntarily and will have no parental responsibility for any children born using her eggs.
In turn, the intended parents cannot hold the egg donor responsible if the child is born with any congenital disabilities. However, with PGT testing you can find out which embryos are the healthy ones and are viable to create a pregnancy.
The donor and intended parents also need to agree with the amount of communication they will have with each other throughout and after the egg donation process, if any. Some matches want to be very open, while others prefer to keep things anonymous.
The legal fees cover all the time it will take to write up the individual contracts and get them signed by each party. These contracts are detailed and include all of the policies that can you give you and your donor peace of mind that everyone is literally on the same page.
Medical Expenses
Intended parents will need to cover the medical expenses associated with the egg donation process. Including all clinical costs and medications. This will all be in your arrangement with your IVF clinic. We can help you with egg donor insurance.
This additional insurance policy will protect the intended parents if there is any case of medical emergency with the donor. This way, the IPs will not be stuck paying for outrageous medical bills. Be sure to ask your agency if they have a preferred insurance company they like to use.
Evaluation Fees
Every donor is required to go through a series of evaluations.
Medical Evaluation By Your IVF Physician
As you can imagine, your donor must be healthy in every way possible. Medical evaluations will check for STDs, evaluate any drug use, and ask for a full medical history.
Medical evaluations will also make sure the donor has a healthy cycle and will be able to donate. They will check her estrogen levels, AMH levels, resting follicle count and perform a general physical to ensure your donor is fit to donate.
Psychological Evaluation
Every egg donor must go through a psychological evaluation. The information collected will help to determine if there are any behavioral patterns that we should be aware of.
These evaluations will also look for any signs of cognitive disorders, and make sure she understands the long term effects of her decision.
Genetic Assessment
Both egg and sperm donors are required to go through genetic screenings. These screenings help determine if there is an increased risk of passing on a genetic condition. This is an essential step because the combination of genes could impact the health of the child.
These assessments are performed by a genetic counselor who will offer you a full pedigree of the donor’s family health history. It gives you a good look at any major health concerns you might have in the donor’s family. The counselor will determine if the donor falls within the ASRM guidelines to donate.
Please note: the genetic assessment is separate from the genetic carrier mutation testing that will be done by your clinic through the donor’s blood work.
Travel Expenses
Often travel is required for the donor. Unless she is local, she will need to travel to a reputable fertility clinic for her egg retrieval. The time between her trigger shot and the egg retrieval can be anywhere from 5 to 10 days. The intended parents are responsible for all airfare, food, and lodging.
Escrow Account
Escrow accounts are often set up to distribute the funds during the egg donation process. Having an escrow account allows the agency to have the money available to pay the clinics, travel expenses, and medication without having to call the intended parents over and over.
Having an escrow account helps keep the process moving without having to wait for payments.
Egg Donor Costs
We get it, adding up egg donor costs can be overwhelming. But, think of the outcome. After all this, you’ll get to hold a new baby in your arms.
So don’t hesitate to fill out an application today to get the process going. We’re confident we can help you achieve your goal of growing a family. Find an agency and an IVF clinic that cares for both you and your pocketbook.
And you can always worry about the other $200,000 after the baby is born.
