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Costco is making a bold move into fertility care.
The membership-only retailer announced last Monday it will begin offering fertility treatments to customers at a steep discount through a new nationwide partnership with healthcare providers.
The initiative brings together telehealth provider Sesame and fertility clinic IVI RMA North America to provide a full spectrum of services, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), egg freezing and intrauterine insemination (IUI).
Most notably, the service will slash one of the largest out-of-pocket costs in fertility care, offering savings of up to 80% on medications, including Follistim, which can cost around $2,000 per cartridge. As a result, patients could save thousands of dollars on each cycle.
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A Costco store in Alhambra, California, US, on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The company says the program is designed to break down one of the biggest barriers to care for the 1 in 6 Americans struggling with infertility, making fertility treatment more accessible than ever.
“Our partnership with Sesame and IVI RMA reflects our commitment to transparent and affordable solutions that reduce barriers, are more accessible, and more affordable for our members,” Richard Stephens, senior vice president of Pharmacy at Costco, said. “By combining transparent pricing with coordinated care, we’re removing the barriers that have historically kept quality fertility treatment out of reach for too many families.”
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A nurse communicating with a patient. (Getty / Getty Images)
The program and its specially negotiated discounts are exclusively available to Costco members, who pay a membership fee for access to the store and its offers.
The program is available nationwide and can be accessed online.
Costco pharmacies will dispense the medications required for patients using the company’s exclusive fertility service partnerships. (Toronto Star Archives/Toronto Star via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The program combines Sesame’s direct telehealth access for treatment planning, IVI RMA North America’s specialized clinics for medical procedures, and Costco’s pharmacy to fulfill the necessary medications.
Through Sesame, patients can complete evaluations and diagnostic workups, allowing doctors to map out a personalized treatment plan.
If patients require major specialty procedures such as IVF or IUI, they are connected to IVI RMA clinics where discounts have been negotiated for Costco members.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COST | COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP. | 996.16 | -5.58 | -0.56% |
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The IVI RMA network also provides preimplantation genetic testing of embryos (PGT-A), single embryo transfers, fertility preservation, and specialized fertility care for LGBTQ+ patients.
