Estimated Costs

Estimated costs for IVF

As with all medical procedures in Singapore, you’ll have to decide between going to a private hospital/medical institution or a public hospital where you can go as a subsidised or private patient.

In public hospitals, the IVF procedure is usually a little cheaper as compared to private hospitals/medical institutions. The cost ranges between $10,000 to $17,000 per cycle, depending on the amount of care and medication given. Singapore citizens will enjoy government co-funding when they choose public hospitals (see below). Public hospitals that offer IVF procedures are:

KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
National University Hospital
Singapore General Hospital

For private medical centres, costs are between $10,000 to $20,000 per cycle, depending again on the amount of procedures and medication needed. Each package usually includes ultrasound, egg collection, egg transfer, lab charges, nursing fees, use of the operating theatre and recovery room. Below is a general indication of how the costs break down.

Approx cost comparison between public and private hospitals:-

It is hard to compare apple to apple the cost of IVF for different clinics (both public and private) as the cost itemisation of the whole process is different for different clinics.

The cost of Assisted Reproduction is the same for Singaporeans, PRs, and foreigners in the private sector. However, the cost for medical treatments in government hospitals is likely to be approximately 30% higher for foreigners.

Sample of cost breakdown for IVF in 2020 at a Public Hospital:

Fresh transfer, both spouses were Singaporeans

Sample of cost breakdown for IVF in 2020 at a Private Clinic:

Using Medisave for IVF / IUI

Medisave can be used for IUI / IVF treatments performed locally.

You can withdraw the following amounts from your own and/or your spouse’s Medisave account, up to a lifetime withdrawal limit of $15,000 per couple:

1st treatment cycle: up to $6,000
2nd treatment cycle: up to $5,000
3rd and subsequent treatment cycles: up to $4,000

You can only use your own and / or your spouse's Medisave for IVF / IUI.

You can use Medisave to pay for cycles which are co-funded by the Government (see below) and cycles which are not co-funded.

Government co-funding for IVF

Government co-funding is available only for treatment at Singapore public hospitals, namely, NUH, SGH and KKH.

The co-funding will cover IVF treatments for a maximum of 3 fresh and 3 frozen cycles. It includes intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), in-vitro maturation, donor cycles and double stimulation cycles, as well as gamete intra-fallopian transfer (GIFT). All the standard procedures, from ovarian stimulation or thawing of the embryo to embryo transfer, can be considered for co-funding. However, initial consultations and investigations prior to a patient’s decision to start IVF are not included.

The amount of co-funding varies, depending on the citizenship of the couple:

You are eligible for co-funding for IVF if you meet ALL of the following criteria:

You OR your spouse must be a Singapore Citizen at the start of the IVF cycle;
You are below 40 years of age at the start of the IVF cycle (save for the last two of six cycles);
You have been assessed by a doctor to have met the clinical requirements for IVH (investigations and tests must be done, and this process may take up to 3 months before you can commence your IVF cycle); and
You have not already received 3 co-funded fresh and 3 co-funded frozen cycles in the past.

Using Insurance for IVF

Most insurance plans do not cover maternity-related costs, much less costs of fertility and IVF treatments.

Usually, coverage for IVF / IUI treatment is a supplementary benefit that is added on to a hospitalisation plan. The waiting period for such plans is usually 12 months (i.e. you can only claim on the plan 12 months after it commences).

The claims are generally subject to the following caps:

$20,000 per pregnancy for natural deliveries and caesareans
$30,000 per pregnancy for emergency caesareans
$4,000 per cycle for infertility treatments.

Each cycle includes all imaging biological and genetic investigations, hospital expenses (in and outpatient), and medical fees. The cycle starts with all medical care related to the covered fertility treatment and ends with an insemination or embryo transfer. The coverage is limited to 3 cycles per lifetime.

Some insurance plans for Expectant Mum and Baby Coverage may include pregnancies via IVF or IUI, but these plans will not include the infertility treatments themselves. Instead, they cover pregnancy complications for the mother, congenital illnesses for the baby and hospitalisation for the baby due to certain diseases. There is usually an option for the mother to transfer the life insurance policy to the baby within 60 days of birth, without any medical underwriting.