New partnership to ease IVF costs for Americans struggling to conceive

The US point-of-sale platform PatientFi has announced a partnership with an IVF electronic medical records tool to expand access to fertility treatment.

eIVF, developed by PracticeHwy, is one the first electronic medical record (EMR) platforms focused on reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) practices.

The goal of the partnership is to help more fertility providers and patients access financing directly within eIVF’s patient portal and broaden the affordability of procedures.

One in eight, or seven million, reproductive age couples in the US struggle to conceive on their own and around five per cent turn to IVF to help them conceive, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

A single IVF cycle – defined as ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval and embryo transfer – can range from US$15,000 to US$30,000, depending on the centre and the patient’s individual medication needs which account for up to 35 per cent of those charges.

However, the limited number of private insurance markets and public programmes covering infertility services, combined with high out-of-pocket expenses, result in significant economic barriers to needed infertility treatment, data suggests.

PatientFi, used by healthcare providers to offer their patients a financing alternative to pay for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, aims to make treatments more accessible to patients and encourage flexible financing.

“PatientFi is committed to improving access to fertility treatments and procedures through flexible, stress-free patient financing,” said Katie Hernandez, PatientFi vice president of marketing.

“We’re thrilled to be a preferred financing partner with eIVF and expand our footprint with fertility providers nationwide.

The company says by partnering with healthcare practices and health tech providers it removes cost barriers and eases financial burdens for patients.

Nimesh Shah, PracticeHwy CEO, said: “eIVF’s strategic partnership with PatientFi supports our growing ecosystem of fertility partnerships focused on improving patient outcomes and clinic performance.

“This collaboration enables a seamless, simplified process for patients to apply for financing, supporting the patient journey through our network of fertility centres.”

This collaboration is said to benefit both providers and patients across all 140 eIVF fertility clinics.