The Huge Costs of IVF in Florida: Dr. Trolice Live on WESH 2 News

The huge costs of IVF in Florida: Dr. Trolice Live on WESH 2 News. In this featured newscast, Mark P. Trolice, M.D., a board-certified reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist and founder of Fertility CARE: The IVF Center, discusses the exclusionary costs of in vitro fertilization in the state of Florida and why he thinks state insurance laws should adapt to correct the imbalance.

Speaker 1: Local, live, late-breaking. WESH 2 Sunrise.

Jason Guy: You hear it all the time, parenthood is a priceless experience, but what some moms and dads are learning is that the process of becoming a parent can come with a huge cost.

Michelle I.: Infertility has become a mainstream health issue, one that means if you don't have money, you may not be able to have a baby. Meredith McDonough explains why in Florida the situation is especially difficult.

Sivan Rettew: Which is heart-wrenching because we tried for a year to get pregnant and nothing was happening. Suddenly, something changed in my body, and my body decided, let's do this, but then something was fighting it.

Meredith M.: Sivan and Craig Rettew, of Ocoee, spent four years trying to have a baby. After countless doctors appointments, injections, and three miscarriages, they remain childless.

Sivan Rettew: On Christmas day, celebrating the holidays with everybody, I lost (a baby) again. So just, rinse and repeat over and over, three times, and all of a sudden now, I couldn't get pregnant at all.

Meredith M.: And they are not alone. According to the CDC, one in eight couples has trouble getting pregnant. After those three heartbreaking losses, Sivan and Craig's dream of becoming parents was fading.

Sivan Rettew: And there were times when I said, I understand if you don't want to be with me because I can't give you a baby.

Meredith M.: Together, they decided to try in vitro fertilization, combining their eggs and sperm in a laboratory. But the decision was a heavy one because the procedure plus medication would cost them $30,000.

Sivan Rettew: (You) don't really know until the numbers are right in front of you and you're handing over your credit card, not your insurance card.

Dr. Trolice: So, she lies on that table ...

Meredith M.: Fertility specialist, Dr. Mark Trolice at Fertility Care, the IVF center in Winter Park, is their doctor. He's frustrated with how the high price of parenthood creates a divide.

Dr. Trolice: It's causing a significant imbalance and favoring the patients who have a higher socioeconomic status or are wealthier, and that's unfair.

Meredith M.: Trolice's frustration is compounded by knowing the price burden could be lessened. 15 states have passed laws that require insurers to cover or offer coverage for infertility diagnosis and treatment. Florida is not one of them.

Dr. Trolice: Infertility affects 12% of the population. It's clearly a prevalent disease and one that should be covered by insurance.

Craig Rettew: We just wanted to be parents so bad. And to see Landon in particular ...

Sivan Rettew: You got this.

Craig Rettew: ... was just a great experience.

Meredith M.: After four long years and significant emotional and financial strain came the amazing news, Sivan was pregnant. The baby announcement from the lab in IVF needles spelling out, "We are pregnant."

Dr. Trolice: I have years ...

Meredith M.: Dr. Trolice says couples who are struggling with fertility should go for specific testing immediately.

Dr. Trolice: We need to determine if she's ovulating, we need to determine if her fallopian tubes are open, and we need to know if the male partner’s sperm analysis is normal.

Meredith M.: Dr. Trolice says these tests can pinpoint issues and cut out unnecessary procedures and costs, saving time and money better spent on taking a new baby home, like little Landon.

Sivan Rettew: The financial aspects, obviously that's not ideal. The fact that nothing is covered by insurance, that's a huge blow to the whole experience. But, you know, to have that outcome, priceless. Priceless. Yeah.

Craig Rettew: Priceless.

Meredith M.: For anyone struggling to conceive, Dr. Trolice stresses seeing a specialist as soon as possible. He says it could save time and money for those longing to be parents. Meredith McDonough, WESH 2 News.

Michelle I.: And the Florida office of insurance regulation told WESH 2 News that the state views fertility treatments as an elective procedure, and that is why insurance does not have to cover it.

For more visit https://www.myfertilitycare.com/
To learn more about Dr. Trolice visit http://www.myfertilitycare.com/mark-t...
To learn more about Fertility CARE fertility services visit https://www.myfertilitycare.com/our-s...
To learn more about IVF visit https://www.myfertilitycare.com/ivf/