{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F66334879-7b33-4d96-a517-66ff8b28a135","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"**BONUS EPISODE** \u2013 IVF FUNDING EXPLAINED WITH ACCESS FERTILITY **","description":"In this episode, Natalie and Kate are working with Access Fertility to explain what is involved when it comes to self-funding your fertility treatment. Speaking with Professor Scott Nelson who is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Glasgow, consultant for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as well as the visiting Professor at the University of Bristol, Scott is the Scientific Director of The Fertility Partnership and Medical Director of Access Fertility\r\n\r\n\r\nHow do Multi-Cycle and Refund packages work for IVF? \r\n\r\n\r\nThere are several different ways to pay for private fertility, designed to make it more affordable and accessible for those who need it. The two most popular ways to self-fund are multi-cycle and refund programmes, which help families avoid escalating costs if more than one cycle is needed or get some money back if the treatment is unsuccessful.\r\nA multi-cycle programme is where a patient pays a fixed price for multiple cycles, and the cost is the same whichever cycle is successful, or if none of them is. Once the patient has had the cycles, there are no refunds. And if the first cycle is successful, the patient can\u2019t access any further treatment under the programme.\r\nUp until now, these programmes have been provided independent from the medical clinics that carry out treatment, so there is a natural separation of medical and financial decisions. This means women and baby\u2019s health is the only priority.\r\nA refund programme allows patients to recoup up to 100% of their money if their treatment is unsuccessful. Refunds aren\u2019t offered if the patient is successful before the end of a full programme.\r\n\r\n\r\nHow has the Pandemic impacted fertility treatment? \r\n\r\n\r\nIt has been a huge impact in the UK and after the initial chaos, what is now left is the residual waiting for appointments and treatment. Many people have found their treatment has been delayed, or are worried that their fertility has declined, while others may have been \"aged out\" of being eligible for NHS or other treatments. This means that some may feel they need to rush their treatment or must access more aggressive treatment. Have a listen to our previous episode about the Postcode Lottery\r\n\r\n\r\nThere has been a lot of concern about people making quick and ill-informed decisions and both Kate and Natalie were ambassadors for the Safe Campaign,\r\nhighlighting the importance of ensuring patients were making informed decisions when it comes to treatment options, despite being tempted to push their physical or mental health to the limit to get pregnant. \r\n\r\n\r\nWhat we discussed:\r\n - The options for accessing fertility treatment \r\n - The ways of paying for private fertility treatment including multi-cycle and refund programmes and the safest ways of accessing these programmes\r\n - The importance of not rushing your decisions and making informed choices \r\n - How much of an impact has the closure of clinics at the start of the pandemic had on patients' decisions to self-fund rather than wait for NHS funding?\r\n - How does it work when you are self-funding for fertility treatment? \r\n - Why would you opt for a multi-cycle and refund package? \r\n - How much money patients using Access Fertility programmes can expect to save\r\n - Whether people are aware of the risks of aggressive treatment?\r\nScott mentioned the OPIS IVF model \r\n\r\n\r\nSocials: \r\nAccess Fertility\r\n \r\nFertility Poddy\r\n\r\n\r\nKate \r\n\r\n\r\nJessica Hepburn\r\n\r\n\r\nAbout Access Fertility: \r\n\u00b7 Up to 100% refund if a patient does not have a baby\r\n\u00b7 Peace of mind that you have a long-term treatment plan in place\r\n\u00b7 Access Fertility is the first and largest company to provide IVF refund programmes in the UK.\r\n\u00b7 More than 5,000 babies have been born on Access Fertility programmes\r\n\u00b7 Refunded more th...","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/379283fb-ed4c-434a-a107-0d831f73783d/cover-image-ksu9rxev-thefertpod.png"}