Costco Now Offering Discounted Access to Fertility Treatments

Costco may be better-known for its massive items and food court goodies than its pharmaceutical and healthcare offerings, but in recent years, it’s been increasingly trying to expand the value of the latter for its members through new partnerships. Its most recent one, though, has tapped into a treatment area that nobody expected.

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Costco has just partnered with Sesame, a cash-pay health care marketplace, and fertility clinic network IVI RMA North America, to offer more affordable access to fertility treatments with its membership. According to healthcare professionals, this new partnership is a good sign for the future of IVF access and could represent a win for Costco members looking to pursue these treatments. Here’s what we know.

Virtual Access And Lower Costs

According to Sesame’s website, this new partnership will allow Costco members to “personalized pre-conception & early fertility guidance from leading fertility doctors” online for $99 a month. If you don’t have a Costco membership, you can still access these services for $119 a month. Then, if you opt to seek further fertility care, Sesame will put you in touch with IVI RMA fertility specialists, who may be able to offer discounts on the next steps. 

This offer and the discount that Costco members can gain is seen as a positive step towards lowering the high prices around fertility treatments. “The largest barrier when it comes to access is undeniably cost and affordability,” said Dr. Brian Levine, founding partner and practice director of CCRM Fertility, who is unaffiliated with any of the parties offering these discounts, to SELF. Without insurance, IVF can cost up to $30,000, and it’s still very expensive if you do have an insurance plan.

While this new partnership won’t completely remove barriers to access due to cost, it may well make things more affordable. Sesame estimates that by following this treatment pathway, customers may save $5,500 to $10,000 per IVF cycle. 

A Conversation Starter

Additionally, as Levine says that “fertility patients also have to undergo regular appointments, as many as six within a two-week span,” the proximity of Costco locations and members to IVI RMA network clinics is also a positive. It may also allow patients to make more individualized choices for their care needs, and choose providers or doctors that may align more closely with their identity or specific requirements. 

Costco, Sesame, and IVI MRA’s partnership also shifts the focus to the patient, and ultimately, this initiative may well create more conversation around the cost of fertility, barriers to access, and timelines. Both Levine and other health professionals agree that this may help people seek treatment earlier and in ways that correspond with their needs. “I hope other organizations take as strong of a stance, as important of a stance as Costco’s doing here,” Levine said. Looks like Costco is really covering everything these days, huh?