Pregnancy guarantee in Spain

In a world where almost anything can be bought, undergoing assisted reproduction treatment with the uncertainty of whether we will achieve our goal can be very daunting. It’s like buying a box without knowing whether there’s anything inside.

That’s why in Spain, in some fertility clinics, in Madrid and Barcelona, the “Pregnancy Guarantee” programme exists and allows you to be partially or totally reimbursed in the event of pregnancy failure, but under certain conditions…

This programme charges a lump sum for three to six IVF cycles in Spain. The fixed fee is generally (but not always) lower than what you would have paid if you had paid for each cycle individually.

Advantages and disadvantages of IVF risk-sharing programmes in Spain

There are many factors to consider before deciding whether or not an IVF reimbursement programme is right for you.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Reimbursement in the event of failure	Does not accept all candidates
More affordable procedure	Expensive if you design quickly
Provides peace of mind	No refund if miscarriage
Less chance of abandonment	Prohibited for over 38s

Eligibility for a pregnancy guarantee programme in Spain

Not everyone can apply for an IVF refund programme in Spain. Each programme has different qualifications, and they are unlikely to accept your application if your chances of success are low.

For example, many programmes do not allow women over the age of 40 to participate. Others have a lower threshold for participation, from the age of 38. Similarly, if you have already had a number of failed IVF cycles, you may not be eligible for a refund programme.

Some fertility clinics offer donor egg reimbursement programmes, which could be an option for women aged 40 and over. But even for these programmes, you have to meet certain conditions to take part.

What’s the catch?

The Guaranteed Pregnancy programmes in Spain sound so great. If you don’t succeed, you get your money back. So… what’s the catch? Why would fertility clinics in Madrid or Barcelona make such an offer?

The fact is, since the offer is often only made to couples with a good chance of success, and perhaps most of them will conceive before they have used up their three or six cycles already paid for.

The costs not covered by the pregnancy guarantee programme are :

• Screening procedures, including blood tests, sperm tests and uterine assessment.
• Monitoring costs, including office visits and ultrasound scans.
• The cost of fertility drugs
• Anaesthesia for egg retrieval
• Charges for more basic IVF procedures, such as assisted hatching, ICSI, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), blastocyst culture and cryopreservation.
• If you use an egg donor or surrogate mother, agency and legal fees.
• Embryo preservation costs

Some pregnancy guarantee schemes cover some of the above costs, but be sure to ask for a detailed explanation of what is and isn’t covered before you sign up.

Important note: Make sure that the IVF reimbursement programme in Spain defines success by the delivery of the baby. This is because some programmes define success by a positive pregnancy test or a pregnancy that reaches a certain number of weeks. This means that if you have a miscarriage, you will not be reimbursed.

Why sign up?

Despite all these drawbacks, there are still good reasons to sign up to a guaranteed pregnancy programme in Spain. Firstly, if you are unsuccessful, you will at least get some of your money back. This may enable you to continue your quest for a child, or at least pay off some of the debts you have incurred in trying to get pregnant.

Another reason why couples sign up is peace of mind. They realise that they risk paying more per cycle than if they had done it one cycle at a time, but they feel better knowing that if they don’t succeed, they won’t be completely ruined.

What’s more, since risk-sharing programmes generally require you to take part in a set number of cycles in order to get your money back, your chances of dropping out or giving up on the programme are lower.

For example, even if you feel like giving up after failing the second cycle, you can continue for the third, because you don’t want to lose your chance of being reimbursed. And that third cycle may be the one that works for you.

What is considered a success?

Does the reimbursement programme consider a positive pregnancy test to be a success? Is it based on reaching a particular stage of pregnancy, such as observing a heartbeat or reaching the 16th week?

Ideally, you want a reimbursement programme that considers the birth of a live baby as a success. If so, we have a solution for you.

Here’s the programme we can offer you:

• Reputable clinic in Barcelona;
• Includes 3 complete IVF cycles with egg donation (or your own eggs), embryo cryopreservation, medication and embryo transfer cycles;
• No time limit. You decide when to stop;
• If no baby is born, 100% of the cost is reimbursed.

Conclusion

We can help you make a success of your treatment, and at a competitive price.

If you are interested inthe guaranteed pregnancy programme in Spain or any other assisted reproduction treatment, please contact our coordinator.