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Breaking the budget on baby making

Johannesburg –  The infertility business appears to be largely recession-proof in South Africa - but has no doubt contributed to the financial woes of thousands of households.

A fertility specialist from the Cape Fertility Clinic, Paul le Roux, estimates that close to 6 500 in vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycles take place every year in SA.

With cost averaging at R32 000 per cycle, that amounts to more than R200m being spent annually on fertility treatment. "It is also not uncommon for a couple to require two or three courses of IVF – pushing the cost up to at least R90 000."

But despite the crushing costs, Aziza Cassim, manager at the BioART Fertility Clinic in Johannesburg,  says the economic downturn hasn't really affected clinic numbers.

"For many, having a baby is almost a life-and-death situation, so they won't easily let something like that put them off. They would much rather let go of other luxuries."

The costs include R800 for the initial consultation, which includes an ultrasound, doctor's consultation and counselling. If a sperm test is needed, another R600 will go towards that.

Cassim says artificial insemination is the cheaper option at R1 000 to R5 000 per session, but many people need the more expensive IVF which goes up to about R30 000 per session. It may reach R32 000 at some clinics.

While most medical schemes won't cover infertility treatment, some will refund part of the expenses and one, the Chartered Accountants Medical Aid Fund (Camaf), will cover most of the cost of artificial insemination.

Sean Martin, whose wife Lisa fell pregnant after two IVF courses, is a Camaf member.

"They only pay a certain amount per year for these kinds of treatment. So, seeing as they have a higher chance of succeeding when done back to back, we just planned our courses to coincide with the fiscal year of the fund."

Infertility is usually a bolt out of the blue which most couples have not made any financial provision for. And because of the ticking biological clock, they do not want to wait until they have saved up enough to cover treatment.

So for many couples, short-term debt is the answer.

One couple ended up with a credit card bill of more than R100 000 before conceiving their first child.

Costs can go far beyond conception

"The debt nearly ruined our finances for life, and added to the enormous stress of infertility treatment. For that kind of money, we could have put our son through medical school. But then – without the treatment, we wouldn't have had a son."

A recent development is so-called medical loans – personal loans to fund specific procedures. Jason Sive, the director of medical loan provider First Health Finance, said his organisation has received close to R16m worth of applications just for fertilisation procedures in the first eight  months of 2010 alone.

To apply for a medical loan, patients first obtain a quote from their doctor for the procedure they would like to have, and then fill in an online form.

Sive said an in-house system evaluates whether First Health Finance will agree to a loan. "There's a score card (with) variables to determine the risk of a patient. This would also dictate the interest rate.

He said a better rate is offered to lower-risk individuals, but usually they try to better the credit rates offered by banks. "We are quite diligent about whom we lend to, and we don't borrow from the bank. Also, our clients are usually not just scraping through on their backbones."

Whichever way it is financed, people need to be prepared for the financial toll treatment will take, a nurse at a fertility clinic advised.

She says it can't be a spur-of-the-moment decision, especially with procedures which can be very emotional. "They need to decide how many times they are going to try and realise (what) their budget (constraints are)."

According to the nurse, three treatments are needed on average.

The lucky patients who do conceive may have to cope with the financial fallout of the treatment for many years to come – combined with the cost of raising a child.

According to Rowan Raath, a financial planner at Liberty Life, it costs the average person about R3 000 per month to raise a child – and this is just to cover the basics of medical aid, food, pocket money and clothing.

"The reality is that so many people just don't plan for children. Although I suspect parents who go for fertilisation treatment are more conscientious about the financial side, the goal is often just to conceive the child."

 - Fin24.com
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