The Cost of IUI

It depends! Coverage varies widely between plans. While many insurers cover the insemination procedure, monitoring, and medications, others cover only diagnostic testing or require patients to meet a definition of infertility before benefits apply.

Connecticut and New York both have state fertility mandates that require fully-insured, large group insurance plans to cover certain aspects of fertility treatment. However, not all employers are required to participate and may opt out, depending on the type of plan they offer.

Illume Fertility's knowledgeable Financial Coordinators will work alongside you to confirm your coverage details and ensure you feel informed from the very start.

A single IUI cycle usually costs $900 to $4,000+, depending on monitoring, medications, sperm washing, and whether donor sperm is required.

Natural cycle IUIs or cycles with oral medications fall on the lower cost end. Cycles using injectable gonadotropins or donor sperm are generally more expensive.

IUI has a wide cost range because several key components vary between patients, including medication type and dosage, number of monitoring visits, sperm processing needs, and whether donor sperm is required.

Some cycles are very simple, while others require more involved monitoring or higher-priced medications, which creates the variability.

At-home insemination may cost less upfront, but it does not include ultrasound monitoring, hormone testing, sperm washing, or precise timing, which can reduce success rates. Clinic-based IUI also places washed sperm directly into the uterus, which cannot be done at home.

For patients investing time and emotional energy into trying to conceive, monitored IUI offers higher accuracy and a stronger chance of success.

Many patients complete three to four cycles of IUI before moving on to IVF if pregnancy has not occurred. Success rates often accumulate over several cycles.

Your physician will tailor their recommendations and your treatment protocol based on age, diagnosis, hormone levels, and sperm quality.

Three cycles of IUI typically cost $2,700 to $9,000+ out of pocket, depending on monitoring, medications, sperm washing, and whether donor sperm is used.

Most patients fall on the lower end if using oral medications and their partner's sperm. Costs increase when injectable medications or donor sperm are part of treatment.

IUI is often recommended for patients with unexplained infertility, mild male factor infertility, or cervical factor issues, as well as those utilizing donor sperm with IUI.

Basic requirements that determine eligibility for IUI: You must have at least one functioning fallopian tube, a normal uterine cavity, and an ovulatory cycle that can be monitored.

First-cycle IUI success rates are often around 10 to 20%, depending mostly on age and diagnosis. Patients under 35 with no major fertility issues tend to have higher success rates than patients with diminished ovarian reserve or significant sperm abnormalities.

IUI success rates are highest in people under 35, moderate between 35 and 38, and lower after 40 due to natural age-related changes in egg quality. Your provider will review your ovarian reserve testing to determine whether IUI is medically appropriate.

Not necessarily. IUI is less invasive and less expensive, but it also has lower per-cycle success rates than IVF.

For younger patients with unexplained infertility or mild male factor infertility, IUI is often an appropriate first step. For patients with more complex diagnoses, blocked fallopian tubes, low ovarian reserve, or advanced maternal age, IVF may offer a greater chance of a healthy pregnancy in fewer attempts.