It’s been nearly 50 years since the first baby conceived via in-vitro fertilization was born. This scientific breakthrough revolutionized fertility treatments, giving way to the births of millions of IVF babies. Although IVF is a game-changer, infertility continues to impact a substantial number of people in 2024: 48.5 million couples globally. As a result, fertility services have become a rapidly growing market worldwide, with a projected rise to $90 billion by 2031 (up from $21 billion in 2021).
For those struggling with infertility, however, it’s not enough that IVF services are so widely available. The staggering prices have forced many to re-evaluate whether IVF is even an option anymore. A single IVF cycle, which is defined as ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, and embryo transfer, can cost anywhere between $15,000 and $30,000.
To be blunt about it: IVF is expensive. Period. No matter which tax bracket you’re in.
In fact, according to a survey conducted by Marketcube, 70% of respondents said they incurred debt from fertility treatments, with nearly half of those respondents revealing they had at least $10,000 in debt. The high costs of IVF can also dissuade lower earners from even attempting fertility treatments: Only 4% of patients make $49,000 or less annually, with 73% of fertility patients earning $100,000 a year or more.
But these costs, astronomical as they are, shouldn’t prevent anyone from obtaining the IVF treatments they so desperately need. Enter Sunfish’s Gold IVF Success Program, a personalized, guided financial plan with the goal of a healthy pregnancy.
What is Sunfish’s Gold IVF Success Program?
Sunfish is a fertility financing company founded in 2022 by Angela Rastegar, a tech entrepreneur dedicated to helping people build their families through assisted reproductive technologies. “Fertility treatments should not just be for the 1%,” Rastegar told Marie Claire. “It’s crazy that we could buy insurance online for a Peloton, a car, or vacation, but there’s no financial protection for going through the process of egg freezing and IVF.”
Rastegar’s financially inclusive axiom encapsulates Sunfish’s mission to offer loans, financial support, and guidance to aspiring parents facing fertility challenges, LGBTQIA+ families, and solo parents by choice.
“When families are ready for IVF, many cannot start because of the financial barrier,” explains Jason Yeh, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist and medical advisor for Sunfish, and Director of Patient Education, at Aspire Houston Fertility Institute. “Sunfish can be a financial support system for families during IVF, so patients can embark on and plan for their journey to parenthood."
Through the Gold IVF Success Program, qualified aspiring parents at participating IVF clinics receive an all-inclusive package of the following:
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One cycle (retrieval, embryo creation, and embryo transfers)
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IVF preparation tips from fertility experts
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Dedicated assistance from a financial advocate
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A refund of up to 90% of your Treatment Package if your IVF cycle isn’t successful
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As part of the Gold IVF Success Program program, Sunfish uses predictive analytics, thousands of historical data sets, and proprietary software to predict the unique chance of success and total estimated cost of an individual's pregnancy journey.
How does this program make IVF easier to afford?
Since most people need more than one round of IVF, the Gold IVF Success Program allows for unlimited embryo transfers and offers a money-back guarantee (for up to 90% of the cost) if pregnancy isn’t achieved in the first attempt.
While everyone’s financial plan is different, here’s an illustration of how Sunfish can help ease the cost of IVF: Say one IVF cycle costs $25,000 (this amount was the average requested loan at Sunfish in 2023): If this cycle doesn’t result in pregnancy, you’re out $25,000. But if you undergo IVF through Sunfish’s Gold IVF Success Program, and you don’t get pregnant, you might qualify for a refund of up to $17,000 — paying only $8,000 for one cycle.
More about Sunfish
Rastegar founded Sunfish after working in the fertility industry and seeing firsthand how much financial stress this process was for people. Many of the Sunfish team also have personal journeys with assisted reproduction. The team is based in Los Angeles and New York City, but Sunfish works with patients throughout the United States.
Since its launch, Sunfish has received more than $50 million in loan applications for support with assisted reproductive treatments. But even with a company like Sunfish helping you every step of the way, IVF is a major financial decision that shouldn’t be made lightly. To better understand your options, we recommend connecting with Sunfish directly, and their team of experts can guide you toward a plan that works for you.
“Anyone who is faced with the decision to pursue IVF knows the financial burden that it can carry,” says Bethany, who used the Sunfish Gold IVF Success Program. “Sunfish takes away the financial fear associated with infertility! They legitimately care about you and your success.”
The goal at Sunfish is to empower families to achieve their dream of parenthood.
"The time is now to improve access to assisted reproductive technologies to help patients build their families. Sunfish is not only doing just that — but also pushing the industry to focus on outcomes, rather than fee-for-service models," says Amber Cooper, M.D., a Sunfish medical advisor and Chief Genomics Officer and Reproductive Endocrinologist for Kindbody.
For more information about Sunfish and its Gold IVF Success Program, head over to joinsunfish.com.
Sarene Leeds holds an M.S. in Professional Writing from NYU, and is a seasoned journalist, having written and reported on subjects ranging from TV and pop culture to health, wellness, and parenting over the course of her career. Her work has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, Vulture, SheKnows, and numerous other outlets. A staunch mental health advocate, Sarene also hosts the podcast “Emotional Abuse Is Real.” Visit her website here, or follow her on Instagram or Twitter.