This depends on the details of each person's insurance policy. Determination of insurance coverage for infertility is a very confusing ordeal, even for many insurance companies.
Infertile couples in USA have used the courts to get their medical bills paid. In 1998, the city of Chicago agreed to cover infertility treatments for its employees after a female police officer sued the city for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. The officer said her infertility was a disability because it impaired a "major life activity." In 13 states in the USA, insurers are required by law to offer some form of infertility coverage. Hopefully, infertile couples and their advocates will be able to successfully lobby for similar changes in India as well.
However, patients have devised ingenious methods to overcome these financial hurdles. For example, young women who can grow lots of eggs and who need IVF but cannot afford to pay for this, have agreed to " share " their eggs. Older women, who need donor eggs and are well-off, can then pay for the entire IVF cycle, and the two can share the eggs, giving both of them a chance to get pregnant. Egg sharing allows the doctor to match financial and reproductive resources, and is beneficial for both donor and recipient.
You can also get coverage for some of your medical treatments (such as laparoscopy) by requesting your doctor to say that the surgery was done for treating pelvic pain (which means your expense will be reimbursed by the insurance company ) rather than for treating infertility.
Approximate costs for procedures, tests and treatments is summarized in this chart. These figures are for the year 2000 in the city of Bombay, and are only meant to be representative - do remember there can be considerable variation! These are "all-inclusive" medical expenses.
Note: 1 US dollar = Rs 45.00
1 UK pound = Rs 75.00
Compared to the UK and USA, IVF treatment is much less expensive in India, and the quality is as good. This is because doctors charge much less - so that by international standards, IVF in India is very cost-effective, and quite a few patients do fly down to India for treatment (and have money left over, even after paying for air-fare!)
Initial consultation Rs 250 to 500 (US $10)
Semen Analysis Rs 100 to 200 (US $5)
Hysterosalpingogram Rs 500 to 1000 (US $25)
Hormonal blood assays (FSH, LH, prolactin, estrogen, progesterone)
Rs 200-400 for each test
Testicular biopsy Rs 2000 to 5000 (US $125)
Endometrial biopsy Rs 500 to 2000
Diagnostic Laparoscopy Rs 3000 to 10000 (US $250)
Operative Laparoscopy Rs 5000 to 25000 (US $600)
Major surgery (microsurgery for tubal repair) Rs 10000 to 25000 (US $600)
IUI (insemination) Rs 3000 to 15000
TID (Therapeutic insemination by donor), per cycle Rs 3000 to 15000
HMG treatment cycle (for superovulation) Rs 5000 to 15000 (US $400)
GIFT Rs 25000 to 60000 (US $1500)
IVF Rs 25000 to 60000 (US $1500)
Embryo freezing Rs 20000 to 30000
Microinjection (ICSI) Rs 60000 to Rs 100000 (US $2500)
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis Rs 150000 to 200000 (US $5000)