How Much Does it Cost to Freeze Your Eggs?

Last Updated on January 5, 2024
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Egg freezing has become an increasingly popular option for women looking to preserve their fertility. But freezing your eggs doesn’t come cheap. In this article, we’ll break down the costs involved and help you understand what to expect when budgeting for this procedure.

How Much Does it Cost to Freeze Your Eggs?

The total cost for freezing your eggs can range anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 per cycle, with most people paying between $15,000-$18,000. Costs add up quickly from medications, blood work, monitoring, procedures, storage fees, and future thaw/transfer.

Here’s a cost breakdown of what to expect:

1. Initial Consult and Fertility Testing

• Consultation with a reproductive endocrinologist: $200-$400
• Bloodwork and ultrasounds: $500-$1,000

Before starting the egg freezing process, you’ll meet with a fertility specialist for an initial consult, fertility evaluation, and screening tests. This helps assess your ovarian reserve and eligibility.

2. Medications

• Fertility drugs for ovarian stimulation: $3,000-$5,000 per cycle

The most expensive part of egg freezing is the fertility medications used to stimulate your ovaries and produce multiple mature eggs per cycle. Injectable drugs like FSH, hMG, and hCG make up a large portion of total costs.

3. Monitoring and Egg Retrieval

• Monitoring appointments: $2,000-$4,000
• Egg retrieval procedure: $3,000-$5,000

During 10-14 days of injections, you’ll have frequent monitoring with bloodwork and ultrasounds to track ovulation and egg development. This continues up until the egg retrieval procedure.

4. Freezing and Storage

• Freezing of eggs: $1,000-$2,000
• Annual storage fees: $500-$1,000 per year

After eggs are retrieved, they are frozen through an advanced process called vitrification and stored in liquid nitrogen. Ongoing fees apply for continued storage.

5. Future Thaw and Embryo Transfer

• Thaw and fertilization of eggs: $2,000-$4,000
• Transferring embryo(s): $3,000-$5,000

When you’re ready to try getting pregnant, your frozen eggs will be thawed, fertilized into embryos, and transferred back into your uterus. Not included in egg freezing costs but extra procedures.

Illume Fertility Egg notes that freezing can cost up to $30,000+, but the average cost is around $11,000, with the typical range being $8,000 to $15,000 per cycle (if you pay out-of-pocket). Storage fees will cost you anywhere from $500 to $1,000 annually.

New Hope Fertility notes that one cycle of egg freezing can cost between $4,500 and $8,000, with medications to stimulate egg production costing between $4,000 and $6,000, and storage fees costing between $500 and $1,000 per year.

The New York Times has an article saying that a single cycle of egg freezing, including ultrasound monitoring and doctor supervision, can cost around $4,500 to $8,000.

NPR says that without insurance, egg freezing can cost up to $20,000 out of pocket, which includes medication, doctor visits, and the actual surgical procedure to remove the eggs. However, this does not include the storage fee for your eggs.

At Pacific Fertility Center Los Angeles (PFCLA), embryo freezing is $9,000 for one cycle, $16,500 for two cycles, and $22,000 for three cycles. These fees include coordination, medication, and other associated costs.

As you can see, the prices add up quickly.

You might also like our articles about the cost of In Vitro Fertilization, to adopt a child, or to have a child.

Why Consider Freezing Your Eggs?

Before we dive into the costs, let’s quickly go over some of the key reasons women choose to freeze their eggs:

• To preserve fertility if planning to delay pregnancy
• For fertility preservation if undergoing cancer treatment
• For peace of mind and flexibility in family planning

Freezing your eggs in your 20s or 30s gives you more reproductive options later in life. The optimal age for freezing eggs is under 35 when egg quality and supply are highest.

How to Reduce Your Egg Freezing Costs

• Shop around fertility clinics and compare pricing packages. Clinics have different fees and discounts.
• Ask about financial programs. Some clinics offer multi-cycle packages or discounts for paying upfront in cash.
• Look into insurance coverage. Some employers offer egg freezing benefits, but it’s rare.
• Seek fertility grants or financial aid programs. Nonprofits like INCIID offer some financial assistance.
• Consider shared risk programs if your clinic offers them. You pay a flat rate and they guarantee a certain number of eggs/embryos.
• Freeze eggs when younger for higher egg quality and possibly fewer cycles needed.
• Review medication costs and ask about coupons or rebates to lower the prescription fees.
• Understand success rates and risks. Higher quality clinics often have higher pricing.

Every clinic and situation is different, so do your homework to maximize savings on egg freezing costs.

How Many Eggs Should You Freeze? What Impacts Success Rates?

The number of mature eggs frozen ultimately impacts your chances of a successful pregnancy down the road. Here are a few key factors:

• Age: Younger women produce more and higher quality eggs per cycle. As you age, both egg quantity and quality decline.
• Baseline egg supply: Women with a higher ovarian reserve will produce more eggs. AMH and FSH blood tests assess this.
• Response to medication: Some women respond better to fertility drugs and produce more eggs per cycle.
• Number of cycles: Most women freeze eggs over 1-2 cycles to bank as many as possible. Each egg freezing cycle offers varying results.
• Egg maturity and viability: Only mature eggs survive freezing/thawing. Immature eggs don’t freeze as successfully.

As a general rule, freezing 20 mature eggs by age 35 gives you a good chance of one live birth later on. But you may need fewer or more eggs depending on your unique situation.

Talk to your doctor about what’s realistic for you. They can advise you on optimizing cycles and recommend ideal egg numbers to freeze.

Is Egg Freezing Worth the Investment?

Only you can decide if egg freezing is worth the cost based on your fertility goals and financial situation. While expensive, it gives many women peace of mind and greater flexibility in family planning.

If budget is a major factor, you may need to save up over a few years for egg freezing rather than pay all at once. Or, consider alternatives like embryo or sperm freezing instead.

Discuss all options with your doctor and partner if applicable. While not an easy decision, freezing your eggs while younger may be a smart investment to expand your future family choices.

Final Words on the Cost of Egg Freezing

Egg freezing costs typically range from $10,000 – $20,000 per cycle, with most people spending $15,000 – $18,000. Costs include medications, monitoring, egg retrieval, freezing, and storage fees.

Despite the high upfront investment, freezing your eggs in your 20s or early 30s can greatly expand your reproductive options. Shop around clinics, maximize insurance coverage, and discuss all financial options to make this fertility treatment more affordable.