Commonly Asked Questions Regarding Initial Consultation

1) HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR THE INITIAL CONSULTATION?

Prepare to bring with you a copy of your medical records from your OB/GYN, primary care physician, or any other fertility programs that add to your medical history. This copy will be for the office to keep on file as a part of your medical record, so make sure that you have your own personal copy as well. Your doctor can also fax these records to us directly, but arranging this will be your responsibility. Not providing previous records can result in having duplicate and sometime costly tests to be repeated.

You should plan on arriving at least 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. Please bring your photo ID, insurance cards, and a list of current medications and dosages. This includes any type of over the counter medications and supplements. If you are going through treatment with a partner, they should bring these as well. For your convenience, you can fill out your registration forms online prior to your appointment.

2) SHOULD MY PARTNER COME WITH ME FOR THIS VISIT?

Yes! Your partner should come with you for any scheduled consultations if they can. Because this is a time for asking clarifying questions, we invite and strongly encourage your partner to accompany you to your consultation both to learn with you, and to support you. However, this is ultimately your decision as your partner’s presence is not necessary during the visit. From our experience it is best to have your partner there so they are receiving the same information regarding treatment options and your individual care plan.

3) CAN I MEET WITH A FINANCIAL COUNSELOR TO DISCUSS PAYMENT OPTIONS?

After the initial consultation, there is also an opportunity to discuss the financial package options available to you. Our patient financial counselor will assist in explaining a price breakdown of the services provided by IHR so that you can have a clear idea of the costs with respect to your treatment plan. With many treatments plans there are components that are both covered and non-covered services by insurance providers.

4) DO YOU TAKE INSURANCE?

Of course we take insurance! We have contracts with many popular insurance providers including those that are specialized for fertility benefits like Progyny and WinFertility. Our doctors do hold contracts with a number of PPO plans and some HMO plans as well. When planning for financing your treatment it will be your responsibility to contact your insurance provider and check your coverage options for fertility. Once you have visited our office and become an established patient, as a courtesy to you, our staff will also be checking with your insurance company to ensure that you receive all of the coverage that your plan provides. This screening process typically takes 5-10 working days to confirm. Some delays arise due to the individual requirements that your plan may set forth. Certain insurances have lengthy reviews for pre-certifications before treatment and can result in delays, however, rarely does it surpass 10 business days.

5) WHAT FORMS DO I NEED TO COMPLETE BEFORE MY INITIAL CONSULTATION?

For your convenience, our registration forms are available to fill out online. These form gives the doctor details of your medical background, and should be completed prior to your initial consultation for the doctor’s reviewing purposes. These forms will be sent to you and your partner before your scheduled appointment time via DocuSign. If you are unable to receive and/or complete these forms before your appointment, please plan on coming to our office at least 30 minutes before your appointment time to fill them out.

6) HOW SOON CAN I SCHEDULE MY INITIAL CONSULTATION?

Typically we will be able to schedule your appointment within one week after your call our office, sometimes sooner. Call our office today to schedule your appointment.

7) HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO DETERMINE THE DIAGNOSIS AND CONSTRUCT A TREATMENT PLAN?

Because diagnoses vary significantly from patient to patient, consultation with your physician will establish the details and time frame of your treatment plan. We are proud to have one of the most efficient diagnostic periods for patients seeking fertility treatments. Our new patients are able to start a treatment cycle much faster compared to other fertility clinics.

8) HOW LONG WILL MY FIRST VISIT TAKE?

From arrival to checking out, expect to be in the office anywhere between 45 to 90 minutes. Remember, if you haven’t filled out your New Patient Forms prior to your appointment, arrive at least 30 minutes early to give yourself time to complete them. Otherwise, please arrive 10-15 minutes before your appointment. Kindly call our office if you are running on late on the day of your appointment. We ask that you provide our office with at least 24 hour notice if you need to modify or cancel an existing appointment

9) DO YOU TREAT PATIENTS OUTSIDE OF ILLINOIS OR INDIANA?

We treat patients from anywhere within the United States. We have a very large international patient population that travel all across the world for services at IHR. If necessary, patients can coordinate between their doctors at home and our physicians at IHR to create a cycle calendar that works with their schedules. Phone consultations are also available for patients from out of town.

10) WHAT WILL BE THE TOTAL COST OF MY TREATMENT AND WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR PAYMENT?

Once your treatment plan is outlined and a schedule is created, our patient financial counselor will be able to give you an itemized list of costs and fees for all necessary services. Our IVF packages do not include the cost of medication.

11) WHAT TESTS ARE ADMINISTERED AT MY INITIAL VISIT?

After your initial consultation most likely you will need an ultrasound to assess your ovaries, and may also include a few standard blood tests. These are not typically done the same day as your initial consultation. Your doctor may recommend more testing based on your medical history and assessment. You can choose to have testing done at any time before beginning treatment.

12) AFTER OUR DIAGNOSIS ON THE FIRST VISIT, HOW LONG WILL IT BE UNTIL WE CAN START TREATMENT?

Treatment may begin as soon as the information is sufficient to work up a recommendation. Treatment can often start within one cycle, approximately one month. We are proud to have one of the most efficient diagnostic periods for patients seeking fertility treatments. Our new patients are able to start a treatment cycle much faster compared to other fertility clinics.

13) HOW LONG SHOULD I EXPECT TO UNDERGO TREATMENT?

Because every patient’s unique case is based on a variety of different factors, the duration of your individual treatment can only be determined with your doctor.

14) WHAT ARE YOUR SUCCESS RATES?

After reviewing your individual clinical situation, your doctor will be able to give you a more accurate idea of what to expect from your treatments. You can also check our SART report for success rates by age group. The SART report compares pregnancy estimates for most IVF pregnancies in the United States.

15) HOW MANY TIMES WILL I HAVE TO ATTEMPT IVF BEFORE BECOMING PREGNANT?

It is our hope that you will become pregnant after your first attempt! There is no policy a IHR regarding the number of recommended cycles to achieve pregnancy. The average number of IVF cycles to achieve a successful live birth depends on many factors including: embryo quality, age of the woman, and quality of the sperm.

16) WHAT IS THE RATE OF SUCCESS AT YOUR CLINIC FOR IVF PER EMBRYO TRANSFER? WHAT IS THE NUMBER OF EMBRYOS GENERALLY TRANSFERRED EACH TIME?

At IHR we hope to achieve a pregnancy resulting in a single healthy baby. For this reason, we do not usually encourage transferring multiple embryos.

17) WHAT IS THE MONITORING PROCESS FOR MY TREATMENT, AND HOW FREQUENT WILL IT BE?

The standard process for monitoring at IHR during your treatment cycle involves ultrasound and blood work every several days during an IVF cycle. This typically lasts 10-14 days. An IUI cycle typically involves ultrasounds and using an ovulation predictor kit at home. Our clinical coordination team will work with you to create a timeline for your treatment cycle.

18) IS IT ALWAYS MY DOCTOR WHO PERFORMS MONITORING DURING MY TREATMENT, OR WILL OTHER PHYSICIANS OR NURSES BE MONITORING ME AS WELL?

Our offices are open Monday - Friday to provide services to our patients whenever they are required, We perform our procedures throughout the week and your doctor will be here perform egg retrieval and embryo transfer over 90% of the time. However, if they cannot be present, there will always be one of our experienced physicians and skilled nurses are available to carry out these procedures. Your care is coordinated by our entire team of fertility specialists.