Whether you’ve been struggling with infertility for a while or if you’re not actively trying but are looking to preserve your fertility, it can be really hard to know if, when and how to find a fertility doctor in New York City.
As you start your fertility treatment journey, it can seem like there’s an overwhelming number of factors to consider - with so many pros and cons to weigh up.
While it's great that New York is spoiled for choice when it comes to the number of clinics to choose from (NY has the 2nd highest number of clinics in the country!) this can also make it that much harder to narrow down your options.
This article is a guide to the questions to ask to start narrowing down your options and find the best IVF and egg freezing clinic in New York for you.
This article covers:
Insurance coverage
Proximity
Clinic and doctor's approach
Financing
Success rates
Before you begin your search for the fertility clinic in New York that suits your needs, these are a few of the most important aspects to consider:
Does insurance cover the cost of fertility treatment in New York?
The costs of fertility treatment can very quickly pile up so insurance is a welcome thing - but coverage is hugely variable.
When searching for a fertility clinic in New York City, a good starting point is finding what your own insurance covers.
Remember there is no such thing as a stupid question: get in touch with your insurance, ask what they cover, what is included and what isn't.
During 2020, a difficult year for many people facing fertility struggles and decisions, there was a welcome change in the law that served as a turning point for people in New York looking to start a family.
A bill was passed that requires private and large group family health plans, with more than 100 employees to cover up to three cycles of in vitro fertilization (IVF).
This new law requires aspects of fertility preservation to also be covered, procedures such as egg and sperm freezing are also covered under this new part of legislation.
So who is eligible for these fertility treatments under the new legislation? If you're currently receiving health insurance from a large-group market (meaning that your insurance provider has more than 100 employees) you are able to benefit from.
The new coverage is accessible to single women as well as male couples.
CYN Fertility, however, states that male couples might find it difficult to benefit from this coverage because of the legal definition of being infertile.
By definition infertile "is the incapacity to conceive following 12 months of regular, unprotected sex or insemination. For women aged 35 and older, the threshold is only 6 months."
How close is the fertility clinic to your home or work?
Once you have narrowed down fertility clinics in New York that offer what you are after, something to consider straight off the bat is how far and how long you are willing to spend travelling to and from appointments.
The hustle and bustle of New York City is unmistakable, it is what draws individuals to the city: the promise of and opportunity. But living in the Big Apple has many challenges, the traffic, in particular, is one thing that drives many away!
Fertility treatment is already stressful enough without unexpected delays and having to radically move around your life and meetings to accommodate it over a number of weeks or months.
Undergoing a fertility cycle can be exhausting, from a mental and physical perspective. So as you embark on your fertility journey in New York, this is one of the first and easiest things you can use to strike off options from your list.
The hustle and bustle of New York City is unmistakable, it is what draws individuals to the city: the promise of and opportunity. But living in the Big Apple has many challenges, the traffic, in particular, is one thing that drives many away!
As you embark on your fertility journey in New York, this is one of the first things you, as a fertility patient, should consider. Undergoing a fertility cycle can be exhausting, from a mental and physical perspective.
When looking for a fertility clinic in New York, specifically think about where the fertility clinic is in relation to your workplace as well as your home.
Most patients will have to visit their chosen fertility clinic on a regular basis and - depending on opening hours and availability - appointments could be during lunch or other times through the working day. And there are often scans and tests that need to be performed first thing in the morning.
You might want to do a Google Maps search from your home to the clinic to gauge what the peak hour traffic is like in that part of New York and closest subways.
Asking the potential clinic what time they open and close might provide insight that will help you make an informed decision.
Remember that it's hard to know how long the process might take, and what the pattern of appointments will look like for you individually.
The reality is, your care plan might look very different to someone else's.
Fertility treatments are often multifaceted journeys, from initial consultations, tests, scans to possibly later, egg retrieval, or embryo implantation.
Although the fertility clinic you are considering might be in close proximity to your home and work, you may also want to check if the clinic does all the necessary procedures in-house.
You do not want to find yourself unexpectedly racing from one location to the next during your fertility treatment when you may be dealing with some fatigue and other hormonal side effects.
Does the doctor suit your personality and deliver on your emotional needs?
Although it might not seem like it while you are planning your fertility journey, your fertility journey is a private and most often an emotional one.
Fertility patients often say they experience a wide range of emotions during the process. These can range from joy and optimism, to anxiety and isolation and even depression.
Depending on how the process goes and the support around you, it can be powerful internal battle, with people saying they juggled negative self talk with the constant need to remind themselves to stay positive and not give up.
As a fertility patient, you will be sharing intimate information and experiences with your doctor, not just your medical history. That's why it's so important to spend time searching for a fertility doctor who you feel comfortable with, who understands your needs and most importantly your fears and concerns.
Not all fertility clinics have the same approach, so make sure you understand how they work.
If you have narrowed your search down to three or four New York-based fertility clinics, find out what their approach to fertility is.
Finding the right fit might seem like an uphill battle, often the first time you, as a patient, meet your fertility doctor is during your first consultation, often as patients we might feel obliged to remain with a particular doctor or too scared to express our concerns.
ELANZA Wellness's Clinic Discovery Tool can help you find a fertility doctor that resonates with your needs and one that you feel comfortable with before you even leave the house. Get to know New York fertility physicians through short introductory video bios on the ELANZA website here.
Importance of the other people at the clinic...
Although you might place importance on selecting a fertility clinic or a specific doctor, do not underestimate the influence that clinic staff might have on your experience.
Often as fertility patients we place emphasis on aspects such as clinic success rate and the costs involved.
Although these factors do, and naturally should influence your decision, the majority of your experience and time spent at your chosen fertility clinic will be with people other than the primary fertility specialist.
In your search for the perfect fertility clinic for you in New York City, consider the other staff that work at the clinic.
Take time looking for a clinic that has staff members who take time to listen to your needs and concern: do they take the time to return your calls? How do you feel walking into the clinic?
These factors might have an influence in the success of your treatment, and definitely on your experience throughout.
Do they offer financing options?
Fertility costs can very quickly pile up, it is important to know what your clinic covers, what is included and what the additional charges may be.
When selecting a fertility clinic in New York you might want to look at clinics who offer bundle rates if it seems like you may require multiple cycles.
Over and above the medical and scientific aspects, there are add-ons that your doctor or clinic might suggest, these are not always covered by your insurance or included in the initial cost outlined by the clinic.
Sessions with a counselor or extra tests might prove to be beneficial to your journey, for instance. We suggest asking your potential clinic exactly what is included so that you are able to make an informed choice.
One option you might want to look into is the EggFund, this fund, targeted at families who struggle with infertility but might not be able to afford the costs associated with it.
Are their success rates much lower than average?
Success rates are notoriously slippery things in the world of fertility treatments.
Rather than worrying and splitting hairs over half percentage point differences between clinics, just know that all good clinics should have success rates on or above the national average, and many of the best clinics will report very similar success rates.
Looking into what the clinic's success rate is, as well as the fertility success rate of your potential doctor, is an important step, but not as critical as many make it out to be. You can simply check out the latest data reported to the Society for Assisted Reproduction (SART) by US clinics here.
This should definitely be a part of your selection criteria, but not at the expense of any of the other factors mentioned.
Many fertility clinics in New York pride themselves on factors far beyond success rates, such as clear pricing, compassionate staff, flexible opening hours and appointment times and the availability of female fertility specialists (if that is important to you).
Grab a notebook to make your shortlist and head to the ELANZA Clinic Discovery Tool to search New York City fertility doctors and clinics now!
Comments