Life Money Money Confidential How Do I Pay For IVF—And How Much Is Too Much to Spend? On this episode of the Money Confidential podcast, host Stefanie O’Connell Rodriguez turns to Natalie Torres-Haddad, a financial literacy and mental health advocate, to talk about navigating the emotional and financial decisions around fertility treatments. By Morgan Noll Morgan Noll Instagram Morgan Noll is an associate editor at RealSimple.com. She is a lifestyle writer and editor with a background covering a range of topics—from finance and career content to travel, health, and beauty. Whether thoroughly testing products or digging up the best money advice, she's passionate about providing accurate, current, and resourceful content to readers. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on June 13, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Olivia Barr Every Monday on the Money Confidential podcast, host Stefanie O'Connell Rodriguez, a nationally recognized money expert, delves into your (confidential) money problems and delivers smart, practical, and completely doable solutions that will help you work toward your ultimate financial goals. This is the place to come for real talk about money—and real solutions that actually work. Follow now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Amazon / Player.FM / Stitcher On This Episode Fertility treatments like IVF and IUI are expensive, and for most Americans, not covered by insurance. Not to mention, there are no guarantees it will work on the first try, making it difficult to know how much these treatments will ultimately cost. This week on Money Confidential, we talk about how to pay for the fertility treatments you need and navigate a financial plan in the midst of so many unknowns. Meet Our Caller "Nora" is a 35-year-old marketing and advertising consultant based in the Bay Area. After trying to conceive for a little over a year, Nora reached out to her general practitioner for advice and decided to start IVF, short for "in vitro fertilization." With the cost of a single IVF cycle ranging from $15,000 to $30,000—depending on the location, center, and the patient's individual medication needs—Nora and her husband have been confronting difficult conversations around how much they're willing to spend to try to get pregnant and how they can budget the procedures into their overall financial plan. Anonymous caller "Nora" "It's hard to get around emotionally, cause we're still in this place where we want to have a family, and it's hard to put a price tag on how much we're willing to spend to have children." —Anonymous caller "Nora" Meet Host Stefanie O'Connell Rodriguez Caroline White Photography Stefanie is a nationally recognized personal finance expert ready to talk work, worth, and money with unapologetically ambitious women. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and Oprah Magazine, and Stefanie has appeared on ABC World News, CBSN, Fox & Friends, Fox Business, Bloomberg, The Dr. Oz Show, The Doctors, and more to share her smart, practical solutions to any money problem. Meet Our Expert, Natalie Torres-Haddad, MPA Courtesy of Natalie Torres-Haddad Natalie Torres-Haddad is an international award-winning author, financial and mental health educator, and bilingual podcast host of Financially Savvy in 20 Minutes. She's a two-time TEDx speaker, known for her talks, "The Foreign Language of Financial Literacy" and "The Confidence Gap." She's a first-generation college graduate from California State University, Long Beach, where she earned a bachelor's degree in finance and international business. She also earned a master's degree in public administration from California State University, Northridge. She has been featured in Forbes, HuffPost, LA Times, and more. Advice From the Episode Natalie Torres-Haddad "Enlist your family and friends that you know will be supportive ... [My husband and I] didn't really talk about [IVF], until we started involving some of our closest family members; it helped carry the load of it." —Natalie Torres-Haddad When planning for IVF treatment, shop around and compare prices across providers, clinics, and pharmacies. — NatalieWhen considering your budget for IVF, consider what's doable alongside your other financial obligations and ask yourself, "What is my limit?" — Natalie Stefanie O'Connell Rodriquez "Once you've clarified what costs are and aren't covered by your insurance provider, you can have the same conversation with your employer to see if they provide any fertility benefit coverage on top of your existing health insurance plan." —Stefanie O'Connell Rodriquez "Money is always about so much more than just the bottom line. Especially when it comes to decisions around fertility, they can be as emotional as they are expensive—if not more so." — Stefanie Links and Resources Download the transcript for this episode. Follow Natalie Torres-Haddad on Twitter and Instagram Visit financiallysavvyin20minutes.com Listen to Financially Savvy in 20 Minutes Check out the find a grant tool at cofertility.com Have a money issue you'd like to share on a future episode? Fill out our intake form. Recent Podcast Episodes You May Like: How do I balance supporting my children with saving for my future? How can I support my kid and save money as a single parent? How do I save for a wedding, a house and a family—all at the same time? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit