How Much Does it Cost to Freeze Your Eggs?

Angela Rastegar

July 7, 2023

Key takeaways from this article:

Egg freezing costs are often more complex than the advertised price of a single retrieval cycle. You have to account for all the fertility testing, medications, anesthesia, retrieval procedures, storage fees, and potentially multiple cycles depending on your individual fertility goals and outcomes.
The “right” egg freezing plan is highly personal and depends on factors such as age, ovarian reserve, future family-building goals, and how many eggs a patient hopes to preserve.
Financial uncertainty is one of the biggest reasons many people delay or avoid egg freezing. Fragmented billing, unclear medication pricing, and the possibility of needing additional cycles contribute to the logistical and emotional overwhelm.
Sunfish’s flat-fee program structures and medication savings are one answer to the logistical unpredictability you might experience.

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While the cost of freezing eggs can vary depending on several factors, understanding the key elements that influence the overall expenses can help individuals make informed decisions about their reproductive choices. The cost of egg freezing ranges on average between $10,000 to $20,000, including medication. This is a wide range, but as more and more women choose this route, we want to clarify what these costs entail.

These costs do not include added fees for storing your frozen eggs (and eventually using them). The annual cost to store your eggs can range from $500 to over $1,000. And once you’re ready to fertilize those eggs to create embryos that can be implanted through IVF, this can add thousands more dollars to the bill.

Factors that Influence the Cost of Freezing Your Eggs

The cost of egg freezing can vary depending on a number of factors, including:

Location: The cost of egg freezing can vary significantly depending on where you live. In general, it is more expensive to freeze your eggs in large cities than in smaller towns or rural areas.
Clinic Fees: Different fertility clinics have varying fee structures that encompass the entire process of egg freezing, including consultations, medical assessments, ultrasounds, hormone medications, and the egg retrieval procedure. The reputation and location of the clinic may also influence the cost.
Medications: The cost of the medications used to stimulate the ovaries for egg retrieval is not included in the cost of egg freezing. These medications typically cost $3000 - $5000.
Storage fees: There is also an annual storage fee for frozen eggs and varies from clinic to clinic.
Your age: The optimal time to freeze eggs is typically in one's 20s or early 30s as egg quality and quantity decline with age. Younger eggs tend to have a higher chance of successful thawing and fertilization, which can impact the number of cycles required for egg retrieval.
Your medical history: If you have any health conditions that could affect your fertility, such as endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the cost of egg freezing may be higher. Sometimes, there may be pre-work required to improve your oocyte freezing process, including surgery to address conditions like endometriosis.
Using your frozen eggs: In order to utilize these eggs down the road, you will have to go through an IVF cycle to create embryos and implant them. Transferring frozen embryos costs about $3,000 - $8,000, plus medication for each attempt.

Insurance Coverage & Freezing Your Eggs

While fertility treatments and procedures are becoming more widely recognized, insurance coverage for egg freezing remains limited. Some insurance plans may cover the cost of egg freezing for medical reasons, such as before undergoing cancer treatment that could affect fertility. However, coverage for elective egg freezing, which is performed for non-medical reasons, is often not included in insurance policies. It's crucial to review your insurance plan and speak with a representative to understand the extent of coverage, if any, for egg freezing.

Cost of Freezing Eggs vs Freezing Embryos

In addition to freezing eggs, another option individuals may consider is freezing embryos. The process of freezing embryos involves fertilizing eggs with sperm and then freezing the resulting embryos. While the overall costs of freezing embryos are similar to freezing eggs, there are some additional factors to consider. Embryo freezing requires the involvement of a sperm donor or a partner, and the cost of storing embryos can be higher compared to storing eggs alone.

Deciding between freezing eggs or embryos depends on personal circumstances, such as relationship status and future family planning goals. If you are not sure which option is right for you, speak with your doctor.

How to Afford Egg and Embryo Freezing

If you are considering egg or embryo freezing, but you are concerned about the cost, there are a few things you can do to make it more affordable.

Consider a financing plan offered by a fertility clinic or through Sunfish.
Many IVF clinics and new companies offer programs to help reduce the cost through egg sharing.
Search for available grants or discounts, Sunfish offers a searchable database.
Don’t be afraid to ask family to help! Many of our members are surprised by how willing future grandparents are to contribute.

Sunfish’s Egg Freezing Success Program

Navigating the various costs of egg freezing, from clinic fees to medications and long-term storage, can feel overwhelming. Because these expenses can fluctuate, many patients look for ways to gain financial predictability before beginning treatment.

To help you plan with confidence, Sunfish offers an Egg Freezing Success Program, designed to take the financial guesswork out of your fertility journey. This program provides a streamlined, comprehensive approach to funding your care, including:

Flat-fee, all-inclusive pricing: Know exactly what your treatment will cost upfront, protecting you from surprise bills and hidden fees.
Discounts on medications and storage: As mentioned above, fertility medications and annual storage fees are significant factors in the overall cost of egg freezing. This program includes exclusive discounts to help lower these specific expenses.
Built-in financial protection: Safeguard your investment with a second cycle included if your results don’t turn out as planned, for added peace of mind throughout the process.¹
Flexible payment options: The program allows you to make the total cost more manageable with access to a loan marketplace as well as split-payment and pay over time options, so egg freezing can fits comfortably into your budget.
Member perks: Enjoy additional savings on exclusive discounts such as injection training and on-site support, nutrition counseling, mental health support, and more.

By securing your costs and protections upfront, you can focus entirely on your health and future family goals rather than stressing over the financial details.

A Sunfish care coordinator can speak with you to walk you through your options, such as financing or grants, and help you make a realistic plan.

¹ If you fail to achieve predicted number of eggs within your custom financial plan budget and there are unexpected costs that were not accurately predicted by the Financial Planning Tool, our software Warranty (the “Warranty”) may entitle you to receive a second cycle free depending on the extent of inaccuracy of our software.