Transparent pricing and reduced waiting: Making IVF treatments more accessible

Starting a family can be both exciting and challenging. According to the World Health Organisation, approximately one in six couples are affected by infertility, which can be caused by a number of factors. 

These include age-related poor egg quality, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis in women, or sperm-related issues such as damaged DNA, low sperm count and erectile dysfunction. 

Dr Motoko Yeo, a senior fertility specialist who runs her private practice at Motoko Clinic for Women and is also attending to patients at the new fertility clinic IVF(SG), advises couples who have been trying to get pregnant for more than six months to seek medical advice. 

“The number and quality of a woman’s eggs diminish with time, so it is important to get ahead of fertility treatments for a higher chance of success,” she says.

However, infertility is just as much a man’s problem as it is a woman’s. Dr Yeo says: “Half of all infertility cases have male-related sperm issues, with the most common being damaged DNA as a contributing factor, so it is important we look at infertility as relating to a couple, not just male or female.”

In cases like these, doctors may suggest trying in vitro fertilisation, better known as IVF. 

How IVF works

Dr Yeo explains: “While ‘traditional’ IVF places the eggs and sperm together in a petri dish for fertilisation to occur, today we use a very fine needle with which a single sperm is injected into each egg. The embryo is watched carefully until it reaches day five, or Blastocyst stage, where it is transferred back to the woman’s uterus, with the goal of developing into a healthy pregnancy.”

So, if you’re considering the IVF route, here are some important must-knows.

Transparent pricing is key

Public hospitals are the more cost-friendly avenue for IVF treatments in Singapore. However, the average wait time can be long, sometimes amounting to three months for an initial consultation and six months before starting an IVF cycle, says Tim Kwan, managing director of leading fertility company Virtus Health Asia. Without having access to timely fertility treatments, the potential for success can be hindered.

While going the private route may be quicker, it is also more costly. Some clinics charge extra for consultations with senior embryologists, counselling services, the use of time-lapse incubators, and assisted embryo hatching, which are costs that couples might not be aware of when they begin their IVF journey with a private clinic.

“One of the most common complaints of couples undergoing IVF is the large price range they are given and the fact that they don’t know the final price until the cycle is finished,” says Tim. “This is a very stressful situation for couples to be in when they should be focusing purely on the physical and emotional aspects of treatment.”

Launched in July this year, IVF(SG) is a new fertility clinic (below) that provides an all-inclusive price at the start, so couples know exactly how much the cycle is going to cost and how much they will need to pay out-of-pocket with MediSave. 

For starters, IVF(SG) offers an all-inclusive fixed rate of $12,888 (before MediSave claims) that covers specialist consultations, medications (stimulation and trigger), treatment monitoring, treatment (egg collection and semen sample), theatre and recovery fees, laboratory charges, embryo transfer and luteal support following transfer. 

“This gives couples peace of mind knowing that there are no extra costs which they haven't budgeted for,” says Tim.

Tim adds: “For couples seeking treatment, it is important to ask about what is included in the costs quoted to them or what services they may wish to include that may incur extra costs. This is to ensure that the price they are quoted at the start of their fertility treatment is the price they will be paying at the end of their treatment.” 

Time is of the essence

When it comes to IVF, research proves time is the most important predictor of successful outcomes. From the age of the woman to the timing of embryo transfer, every phase is time sensitive and, with only 12 chances a year to conceive, delays in diagnosis and treatment have an impact on the chances of IVF success.

With IVF(SG), patients will be able to see a senior fertility specialist within a week of requesting an appointment and IVF can commence as soon as the woman starts her next cycle after consultation with the senior fertility specialist.

Says Dr Yeo, “Undergoing IVF is an emotional and physical roller-coaster. Whether in-clinic or on the phone, our nursing staff are available to answer patients’ questions or concerns, and help prepare and support them throughout the process.”

IVF(SG)’s hybrid approach

“The difference between the public hospitals and the full-service private clinics lies in the approach to IVF treatments,” Tim explains. “In full-service private clinics, patients get access to one dedicated doctor throughout their fertility treatment. In public hospitals, patients get access to a roster of doctors with a range of experiences.”

This is where IVF(SG) comes in: a dedicated fertility care clinic offering couples a new hybrid option for IVF treatments in Singapore. It is staffed by a team of leading senior fertility specialists together with embryologists and fertility nurses who work on a roster system – much like public fertility clinics – in addition to no waiting time. Patients can also utilise their MediSave funding up to the $15,000 limit. 

As Dr Yeo puts it: “The key difference is that our patients are attended by a panel of four senior fertility specialists, and between us we have overseen thousands of IVF cycles both in the public and private clinics.”

By providing private healthcare-level services at government hospital rates, the clinic aims to make the fertility journey more accessible to couples. 

Source: IVF(SG)

What kind of technology is being used?

As part of the Virtus Health Family – one of the largest providers of assisted reproductive services in the world – IVF(SG) shares the same resources as its sister clinic Virtus Fertility Centre Singapore (VFCS) (below). This includes the embryologists, operating theatres and recovery rooms. 

Dr Yeo says that based on her many years of experience as a fertility specialist, the quality of the laboratory is key to success in IVF treatment.

For instance, the laboratory uses time-lapse incubators to closely monitor the development of the embryos and employs AI technology to assist with embryo selection. However, the experienced embryologist will choose the final embryo for the transfer into the patient.

VFCS also partners with CooperSurgical – a leading company in women’s healthcare products and services – to provide RI Witness for Quality Assurance.

Tim explains: “The system helps to track the processes of IVF e.g., from egg collection and sperm collection, fertilisation, embryo transfer and freezing to storage of frozen embryos, eggs and sperm, and eliminate the risk of mixing sperm and eggs among patients. This further strengthens our commitment to providing quality care in the VFCS laboratory.”

“By streamlining our services and by using the same laboratory as our sister centre at Virtus Fertility Centre Singapore (VFCS), we can provide IVF(SG) patients with access to a high quality of assisted reproductive services,” he adds. 

For more information about IVF(SG), visit this website.

Disclaimer: The treatment protocol at IVF(SG) may not be suitable for all couples. For more complex cases or for patients who require a more complex level of treatment, IVF(SG) will refer patients to VFCS for more specialised care.