What Is Included in Multi-Cycle IVF Packages?

What is included in multi-cycle IVF packages? It depends on the clinic. A package price can feel like the whole story. One number. Several cycles. Fewer surprises. Then, a bill arrives for something you thought was covered.

Multi-cycle IVF plans are specifically meant to make costs more predictable. But each clinic decides what goes inside the package and what stays outside it. Two packages with similar prices can cover very different things.

This guide goes line by line. You will see what a clinic package usually covers, what it often leaves out, and which questions to get answered in writing. We will also show how the Sunfish IVF Success Program lays out its price, so you can compare with clear eyes.

Key Takeaways

• Most clinic multi-cycle IVF packages cover a fixed number of egg retrievals, plus the monitoring, anesthesia and lab work for each one.
• Many packages cap the number of frozen embryo transfers they include. After this, you may be expected to pay per transfer.
• Medication, PGT-A genetic testing, consults, diagnostic tests and storage after the first year are often billed separately.
• How a clinic defines a "cycle," and what happens to cycles you paid for but don't use can change what you actually pay.
• The Sunfish IVF Success Program lists its price differently: one fixed price, all eligible embryo transfers included for a year,² and medication and PGT-A priced separately, with estimates given at the quote.

What Most Multi-Cycle IVF Packages Include

A multi-cycle IVF package pays for more than one IVF attempt at a single upfront price. Some clinics sell a 2-cycle IVF package. Others go higher. The details vary, but most clinic packages include:

• Egg retrievals. A set number, agreed before you start.
• Monitoring. Bloodwork and ultrasounds during each stimulation cycle.
• Anesthesia for each egg retrieval.
• Lab work. Fertilization and embryo culture in the clinic's lab.
• ICSI, if needed. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is often included only when it is clinically needed.
• Embryo freezing for embryos that are not transferred right away.
• A capped number of frozen embryo transfers (FETs). Some packages only cover transfers of embryos created during the package's retrievals.

Some programs bundle several IVF cycles and the frozen embryo transfers that follow into one flat amount, with ICSI and assisted hatching included when clinically needed.

What Is Billed Separately

This is where IVF hidden costs tend to appear. In a 2023 opinion, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Ethics Committee noted that refund programs typically exclude screening costs and medications, and that excluded costs must be itemized. Look out for:

• Consultations and diagnostic tests before treatment begins.
• Medication. Does an IVF package include medication? Often, no. Our fertility medications 101 guide explains what to expect.
• PGT-A genetic testing. Usually an add-on. Learn more in PGT-A explained.
• Embryo storage after the first year.
• Complications and care outside the IVF cycle itself.
• Outside services, such as surgical sperm retrieval.

To see the full picture, read what you actually need to budget for IVF.

What Counts as a "Cycle"?

Clinics do not all count the same way. A cycle might begin when you start medication, at egg retrieval, or at embryo transfer. This definition matters most if a cycle is cancelled before retrieval.

For some clinics, a cancelled cycle does not count, while others may count it. Ask your clinic to define a cycle in writing.

What Happens to Unused Cycles?

If you get pregnant early, you may have paid for cycles you will not use. Policies vary. Some packages offer nothing back for unused cycles. Others tie any refund to specific outcomes and terms. Read the contract closely, and ask whether any leftover frozen embryos can still be transferred under the package.

Questions to Get in Writing Before You Pay

Before you move ahead, you should get answers to the following questions, in writing preferably.

• How many egg retrievals are included?
• How many frozen embryo transfers are included, and is there a time limit they must be used by?
• Is medication included? If not, what is the estimated cost?
• Is PGT-A included, and who bills for it?
• How long is embryo storage included, and what does it cost after that?
• What counts as a cycle? Does a cancelled cycle count?
• What happens to cycles I do not use?
• Are there eligibility requirements to join?
• Can you itemize every excluded cost?

How the Sunfish IVF Success Program Lists Its Price

Most people compare IVF packages by counting cycles. The reality is that the number on the price tag matters less than what it covers, and what is outside it. That is the question the Sunfish IVF Success Program was built to answer.

The IVF Success Program is an inclusive IVF package you buy outright from Sunfish for treatment at a Sunfish partner fertility clinic, for a price quoted before treatment begins. You pay Sunfish for the program, and Sunfish pays the clinic. Here is what that price looks like.

One fixed price for your treatment cycle

Your program price includes the IVF treatment cycle at your partner clinic. There is no qualification screen to join. If you would like more than one egg retrieval, Sunfish also offers double retrieval packages. For context, in SART's 2022 national data, new patients who had a live birth averaged between 1.2 and 1.9 egg retrievals, depending on age group. Learn more about how a fixed-cost IVF package works.

All eligible embryo transfers included for one year

A clinic typically bills each frozen embryo transfer separately. If one transfer is unsuccessful, the next attempt can mean another four-figure payment. With the IVF Success Program, all eligible embryo transfers included means every transfer of your eligible embryos is already paid for at one fixed price.² Membership runs for up to a year, or until all eligible embryos have been transferred, whichever comes first.²

Medication and PGT-A named at the quote

Medication and PGT-A sit outside the program price, and Sunfish gives you an estimate for both when you receive your quote. Your final medication cost can change with how your body responds during the cycle. Medication comes through partner pharmacies with a lowest-price match guarantee. If you choose PGT-A, your clinic bills it directly. You see what is included and what is not before you begin, so there are no hidden costs.

Financial protection on top of a fixed price

Sunfish prices each program from a predictive cost forecast. On the Gold Program, if that forecast proves inaccurate, you may receive a partial refund of up to $15,000, or a discount to continue treatment.¹ The refund sits on top of a fixed program price that includes transfers, so your cost is capped before a refund is ever triggered.

This is a defined program benefit, not insurance or a loan. Terms and conditions apply.

A Planning Partner for the whole cycle

Every member is paired with a dedicated Fertility Planning Partner, one named person for the whole cycle. Your Planning Partner coordinates clinic and pharmacy logistics and offers evidence-based guidance at each decision point. Gold Program members also get savings on long-term egg and embryo storage and transport, at-home wellness IVs, one-on-one mental health coaching, and more.

Want to see the numbers side by side? Read Sunfish vs. a clinic multi-cycle package, or browse current IVF package deals.

When a Clinic Package Might Fit

On the flipside, consider a clinic package if:

• You have already chosen a clinic that is not a Sunfish partner.
• A set number of retrievals and transfers matches your plan.
• You have reviewed the itemized exclusions and budgeted for them separately.

Either way, ask your clinic for the full contract and a list of excluded costs before you sign. Our IVF cost calculator can help you estimate what sits outside the package.

Main Takeaway

A multi-cycle IVF package is only as predictable as its list of exclusions. Most clinic packages cover retrievals and some transfers, but medication, PGT-A, testing and storage often sit outside the price. The Sunfish IVF Success Program gives you one fixed price, all eligible embryo transfers included for a year,² and every excluded cost named before treatment begins.

Ready to know your costs before treatment begins? Explore the IVF Success Program or get started with a Planning Partner today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a multi-cycle IVF package usually include?

Most include a set number of egg retrievals, plus monitoring, anesthesia, lab work, embryo freezing and a capped number of frozen embryo transfers. ICSI is often included only when clinically needed. Inclusions vary by clinic, so ask for an itemized list.

Is medication included in a multi-cycle IVF package?

Often, no. The ASRM Ethics Committee noted in 2023 that refund programs typically exclude medications. With the Sunfish IVF Success Program, medication is priced separately through partner pharmacies with a lowest-price match guarantee, and you get an estimate of it at your quote.

Is PGT-A genetic testing included in an IVF package?

Usually not. Many packages treat PGT-A as an add-on. Under the Sunfish IVF Success Program, your clinic bills PGT-A directly if you choose it, and Sunfish names that cost upfront. Read PGT-A explained to see whether it may be right for you.

Are all embryo transfers included, or only a set number?

Many clinic packages include a set number of frozen embryo transfers. The Sunfish IVF Success Program includes all eligible embryo transfers for one year at one fixed price, or until all eligible embryos have been transferred.²

What counts as a "cycle" in an IVF package?

It depends on the clinic. A cycle may start with medication, retrieval, or transfer. Some clinics do not count a cancelled cycle toward the total. Get the definition in writing.

What happens to unused cycles if you get pregnant early?

Policies differ. Some packages offer nothing back for unused cycles, while others tie any refund to specific terms. Read the contract and ask your clinic before you pay.

Do you have to qualify for a clinic's multi-cycle IVF package?

Some clinic programs have eligibility requirements, so ask your clinic what they are. The Sunfish IVF Success Program has no qualification screen to join.

How much does a multi-cycle IVF package cost?

Prices vary by clinic, location and the number of cycles included. Compare the total, including excluded costs, not just the package price. See the cost of all-inclusive IVF packages and try our IVF cost calculator.

What are your options if you need another IVF cycle?

Depending on your plan, you might use remaining frozen embryos, plan for another egg retrieval, or use a package benefit. Under the Sunfish IVF Success Program, eligible Gold Program members may receive a partial refund of up to $15,000 or a discount to continue treatment.¹ Talk with your doctor about clinical next steps.

Should you choose the Sunfish IVF Success Program or your clinic's own multi-cycle package?

If you want one fixed price, all eligible embryo transfers included for a year,² every excluded cost named at the quote, and a dedicated Planning Partner, the Sunfish IVF Success Program is built for that. For a detailed comparison, read Sunfish vs. a clinic multi-cycle package.

¹ As part of the Sunfish IVF Success Program, Sunfish provides a Custom Financial Plan using Sunfish's proprietary software that calculates the expected financial costs for each family to achieve a Live Birth based on a range of factors. If you fail to achieve a Live Birth within your custom financial plan budget and there are unexpected financial costs that were not accurately predicted by the Financial Planning Tool, our software Warranty may entitle you to receive a partial refund of your treatment package costs. Additional costs may be incurred outside of the Treatment Package Costs. See our Sunfish IVF Success Program Agreement for conditions and details.

² See contract for eligibility requirements.