faq

determining the right treatment for you can seem daunting. we get it. that’s why we create a personalized plan after your fertility assessment with a physician. our mate fertility quiz is coming soon! that will help you figure out what treatment plan best fits your needs. 

mate takes a personal, customized approach to fertility. after your free virtual advisor session, we’ll pair you with a doctor who will perform your fertility assessment and do the appropriate diagnostic testing. the price of the assessment depends on what testing we need to do on you and your partner. if mate fertility is right for you, we’ll create a personal path moving forward.

your first conversation will be with a mate fertility advisor, and it’s completely free. this will be a scheduled call with a trained fertility advisor. this consult usually lasts about 15 minutes and it’s a chance for you to learn a little bit more about what mate fertility offers and for us to learn whether it makes sense to connect with a physician. the advisor will want to know a bit about your medical history and understand what challenges you’ve been experiencing on your fertility journey. if it makes sense, our advisor will book an in-person office visit for you or direct you to other resources.

a fertility assessment is the best indicator to know whether you are infertile or may need assistance starting a family. a fertility assessment will be able to show what, if any, underlying issues are causing infertility. a fertility assessment is also the best indication of one’s likelihood of becoming pregnant. if you are just curious about your fertility levels or have been struggling to conceive, we also encourage you to take a fertility assessment. 

previous medical history is an important factor when determining one’s ability to have a baby. any medical condition, surgery, endometriosis, cancer, treatment, or underlying disease can impact the ability to become pregnant. additionally, any medications you have taken or are currently taking are important to discuss with the doctor, as some of these may have to be paused. when creating your personalized path to parenthood it’s very important for us to have a complete understanding of your medical history. and remember we also operate in a no-judgement zone here.

during your assessment, your provider will perform a vaginal ultrasound which is a straightforward painless procedure that will allow your doctor to see and examine your reproductive organs around the pelvis. the ultrasound can examine the vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, bladder and can check for ovarian cysts, tumors, polyps, and fibroids. it is a standard part of every fertility assessment. 

we will also take a blood test to determine certain hormones and levels that are intrinsically tied to fertility. testing these hormones for irregularity can be an important clue in uncovering what may be causing infertility and what type of path we need to take moving forward.

an average ivf cycle takes about 6-8 weeks from consultation to transfer. it’s important to understand that an average couple must go through 2-3 ivf cycles on average to achieve a pregnancy.  if you’re using a surrogate, this time may increase. an average cycle timeline looks something like this: 

day 1: ultrasound and bloodwork (ovarian stimulation) 

day 2: (ovarian stimulation) 

day 3: (ovarian stimulation) 

day 4: ultrasound and bloodwork (ovarian stimulation) 

day 5: (ovarian stimulation) 

day 6: ultrasound and bloodwork (ovarian stimulation) 

day 7: (ovarian stimulation) 

day 8: ultrasound and bloodwork (ovarian stimulation) 

day 9: (ovarian stimulation) 

day 10: ultrasound and bloodwork (ovarian stimulation) 

day 11: trigger shot

day 12:

day 13: egg retrieval & fertilization in the lab 

day 14: embryos culture in the lab for 5-6 days

day 15: embryos culture in the lab for 5-6 days

day 16: embryos culture in the lab for 5-6 days

day 17: embryos culture in the lab for 5-6 days

day 18: transfer fertilized embryo into uterus 

day 19-33: two week wait

day 33: pregnancy test

currently mate is a cash pay clinic, but we are working to explore insurance options. we are significantly more affordable than legacy clinics but we believe infertility is a medical diagnosis that should be covered. unfortunately, many insurance providers don’t agree with us. some offer little to no coverage. others only cover diagnostic testing. some insurance providers may completely cover medication or one full round of ivf. in short, there’s no easy answer. we’ve found that many people with terrific insurance end up getting very little covered regardless.

every person’s fertility journey is different, but our philosophy is the same: to always be transparent and fair with our prices. no matter how many rounds of treatment or hurdles along the way, we’ll be clear with you, no matter what. typically our prices are lower than other clinics because we put patients over profits.

of course! many insurance plans provided through work have a health savings account (hsa) or flexible spending account (fsa) attached to them. these accounts allow you to contribute money from your paycheck into accounts that can be used for medical costs not covered by insurance. if you don’t have or don’t know how to set up an hsa follow these steps below to get started.

*research hsa providers online. use hsa comparison websites, like hsa search, to help narrow your search

*check with your health insurance company to see if they partner with hsa financial institutions

*ask your bank if they offer an hsa option that meets your needs

simple! we value patients over profits, for too long traditional fertility clinics have taken advantage of patients by continuously hiking up their prices. they get away with this because demand for fertility services far outweighs the supply. at mate fertility, we are solving the root of this problem by increasing the supply of fertility clinics. by increasing the supply, we can lower the price. we know that access to care is severely limited due to cost restrictions, so it’s our duty to patients to increase accessibility to affordable treatment.

the first step is to book a free mate advisor session. that mate advisor session will be with a mate fertility advisor who will ensure you’re on the right path. they will ask you a few questions and answer any questions or concerns you have. if it seems like mate fertility could be right for you, our expert will book you an appointment at your nearest mate fertility clinic. we will get all your information uploaded to our system and then at your first consultation the provider will perform a fertility assessment. once the results of your assessment are in, our team will work with you to determine the best treatment plan moving forward.

check with your insurance provider to discuss what will be covered by insurance. we accept hsa, fsa, and care credit. insurance may cover a portion of your treatment depending on your plan, and most tend to cover diagnostic testing. We will provide you with a superbill to be submitted to insurance after treatment.

here is a list of questions to ask your insurance about fertility coverage:

*how do you define infertility?

*do i need a referral for infertility treatment? can i use the clinic of my choice

*what do my benefits cover for infertility diagnosis and infertility treatment

*are infertility diagnosis procedures covered (ex: office visits, blood work, ultrasounds)?

*are infertility treatments covered (ex: intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization, cryopreservation) do i need prior authorization for certain treatments?

*are fertility drugs covered or reimbursable? are there any exclusions? can i use the pharmacy of my choice?

*what is my annual or lifetime maximum benefit for infertility treatment?

*is there an age limit for infertility treatment?

affordability is at the forefront of everything we do. if you need treatment we will work with you to ensure you are able to pay for that treatment. while our prices are more affordable than traditional clinics, we understand that some people may still need help. at the moment we have partnered with the country’s leading fertility financier, future family and capexMD. we have negotiated the lowest possible rate for loans and their experts are here to help you through that application process and answer any questions you may have. we are working hard to add additional financing options for our patients.

this service is coming soon. often patients may choose to pay for multiple rounds of ivf upfront at a discounted price. however if you do achieve a successful pregnancy on any of your cycles, then no reimbursement is offered. many patients choose this option because it helps them understand and plan exactly what their investment will be. prices for this service will depend on the age of the patients. this option alleviates the concern of cost versus chance of success.

mate fertility accepts all forms of payment. whether you are paying cash, credit, debit, or with a check, we can accept it all.

we’re trying to lobby directly with your employers in your city. you often hear of large tech companies offering fertility coverage, but mate fertility believes in accessibility, that’s why we have a team working with local employers in all of our launch cities to get fertility coverage added.

arkansas, california, connecticut, delaware, hawaii, illinois, louisiana, maryland, massachusetts, montana, new jersey, new york, ohio, rhode island, texas and west virginia—have passed laws that require insurers to either cover or offer coverage for infertility diagnosis and treatment. of those states, fourteen have laws that require insurance companies to cover infertility treatment and two states – california and texas – have laws that require insurance companies to offer coverage for infertility treatment.