Medical Tourism: Should you use a third party agency or not?

By Lesa Lewis*

The miracle of modern medicine is giving us new opportunities every day. Today a woman who needs to use donor eggs to get pregnant has more choices than ever. One new and exciting option that has grown in popularity in recent years is medical tourism for donor egg in vitro fertilization (IVF). The idea sounds fairly simple: travel to another country where donor fees and IVF costs are dramatically reduced compared to equivalent services in the US. While it may not sound complicated, the choices available are many and confusion can set in quickly. In most circumstances, there are third party agencies available to help guide patients through the process. But what are the benefits of using an agency? What are the drawbacks?

Donor egg IVF can be complicated. There are medical and legal issues to consider and quite a bit of coordination involved in every cycle. A patient needs to consider how she might feel about dealing with these issues. For many women, the thought of coordinating cycle details all alone is nerve wracking. Throw in a far-away country, long flights, and a foreign language and it can be downright terrifying! This is when using an agency might be a good option.

When a patient uses an outside agency for international donor egg coordination, there will usually be a system in place to walk her through the entire process. The agency will be responsible for explaining the protocols of the IVF clinic. They can help secure medication, choose an egg donor, schedule travel and arrange for transportation to clinic appointments. They can also compensate for potential language barriers to ensure that questions and concerns are promptly addressed by the clinic. In addition, an added benefit of some agencies is that they may be able to secure you an earlier treatment date than you can get on your own.

So why not use an agency? Well, everyone is different. Some patients may feel comfortable with international travel and would like to remain in complete control of their arrangements without having to deal with an outside agency. If a woman is familiar with the country she will be visiting for treatment, or if she has friends or relatives in that country, she may not feel she needs any outside help. Another consideration is cost. While it is considerably cheaper to do an IVF cycle abroad, there is still a fee attached to using an agency. So, it stands to reason that not everyone will see the value in using an outside agency.

Most women who have traveled internationally for IVF services use an outside agency for coordination. When asked if they would use the same agency again if they decide to return to try for a sibling, almost all said they plan to use the agency again if they attempt a second try. On the other hand, a poll of women who had traveled internationally without an agency resulted in about half saying that in hindsight, they should have paid for some help.

Each woman will decide for herself if an agency’s help is something she needs or wants. Everyone will have a different comfort level when it comes to medical tourism, and patients should conduct research and act accordingly.

Choosing an Outside Agency

How do you choose an outside agency? When it comes to traveling for donor egg IVF, many clinics will work exclusively with one agency, so your choices may be limited. Some agencies may coordinate medical tourism for multiple clinics and even in multiple countries. Before you make a decision to sign up and send in your hard-earned cash, it is wise to ask the following questions:

• How many fertility patients does the agency work with every month? Year?
• How long has the agency been in business?
• Will your contract be with a U.S.-based company or a foreign company? (You may have more legal rights and recourse with a U.S.-based company.)
• What is the agency’s fee for their service? Is that price guaranteed once the contract is signed, or will it change with fluctuation in exchange rates?
• Is there a published schedule of fees for optional services?
• Does the agency accept credit cards? Is there an additional fee to pay with a credit card?
• What is the payment schedule?
• What is included in the agency fee? Is this spelled out in the contract?
• Does the agency handle the clinic and donor fees or do you pay the clinic directly?
• Can you speak with previous clients for references?

Again, the decision to use an outside agency (or even to travel abroad for medical tourism) is a highly personal one. Be sure to carefully research all options and to take the time to find a good fit for you that meets your needs.

*The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Parents Via Egg Donation.