Dr. Vilma received her M.D. in Obstetrics, Gynecology, Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology from Harvard. She is trained in managing pregnancy, pre-pregnancy health, and family planning.
It is not easy to find the average cost of intrauterine insemination (IUI) in the United States. Many fertility centers do not publish prices for services on their websites. Most practices prefer to discuss the specific costs at a consultation visit based on your fertility situation.
Cost of a Cycle
The cost of intrauterine insemination cycle in the U. S. varies from one facility to another. One source of reliable information comes from the following data collected from 30 U. S. fertility centers by Resolve (The National Fertility Association), a nonprofit support group:
The average cost of one IUI treatment cycle is about $865.
The prices ranged from $275 to $2,457 per cycle.
Your total cost depends on the location of the practice, the experience of the doctors, and what treatments you need in addition to the IUI procedure. In general, if you have only a few fertility clinics in your area, your cost might be higher than in other locations with more facilities.
A Breakdown of Costs
Depending on your fertility circumstances, the cost of your IUI treatment cycle(s) might also include induction of ovulation medications and monitoring of your cycle with ultrasound and blood tests.
If you research the online quoted prices of several fertility centers throughout the U. S., you will find the following breakdown of the cost of various parts of an IUI cycle:
The IUI procedure: $300 to $700
Sperm preparation ("washing") for IUI: $100-$300
The intrauterine insemination: $200-$400
Potential additional costs
Semen analysis: $159
Monitoring of egg development with ultrasound and blood tests: $800-$2,5 00
The intrauterine insemination procedure involves preparing (washing) the sperm and inserting the specimen through a tube into the cavity of the uterus. Bear in mind you may need more than one IUI cycle to conceive. There is also an additional cost if you are using donor sperm, generally about $150 per tube.
Cost at Selected Fertility Centers
The following are published costs of an IUI procedure (natural cycle) of a sample of fertility clinics throughout the U. S.
Consider that these centers can change their prices at any time.
Insurance Coverage
In a few U. S. states by law, insurance companies must cover infertility procedures. You can access details of the coverage in these 15 states from the Resolve website. In other states some insurance companies will pay for certain fertility treatments, although they are not required to do so.
Check with your insurer to find out if they will cover parts or all of your IUI treatment cycle and how many cycles they will pay for. Some fertility centers also offer discounts or access to financing arrangements for self-pay patients.
The Choice of IUI Versus IVF
A cycle of IUI is less expensive than the more invasive in vitro fertilization (IVF), but the overall pregnancy rate of IVF is greater. Discuss with your fertility specialist the success rate of IUI and the cost-effectiveness to you compared to IVF. Depending on your fertility diagnosis, it might cost you less in the long run to go straight to IVF than to go through several cycles of IUI before proceeding to IVF.
