During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is evident that a lot of businesses are taking advantage of the situation by bringing prices of necessities and services sky-rocket high. Recent headlines have also been mentioning that even IVF clinics are asking too much from couples wanting to get pregnant during this time.
Daily Mail reports that some fertility clinics in the UK have been sanctioned for charging patients with 'extra' fertility treatments. Additionally, couples seeking help in conceiving were also asked to pay an expensive COVID-19 test estimating to about $499. Furthermore, women's partners were also required to take coronavirus tests amounting to approximately $187 each.
Now that clinics are starting to reopen, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has been alerted about the misconduct of some institutions. Since then, the organization's chief executive, Peter Thompson, had written a memo to clinics, clarifying that their charges should be "reasonable."
Although sources were unable to identify the clinic that reportedly charged $499 for a COVID-19 test, many fertility clinics are openly charging extravagant sums for the simple test, which is made available for free on the National Health Service.
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When Businesses Profit From the COVID-19 Pandemic
Fertility Plus, a business based in London's Harley Street, requires their patients to undergo a nose and throat swab and blood test at least once before starting their procedures. Additionally, they also ask women's partners to be tested, which checks out to cost $187 per person.
Another fertility clinic based online called IVF Matters is selling a $173 test for those presenting with COVID-19 symptoms or with exposure to persons with the disease. Similarly, Care Fertility, which claims to be the UK's largest fertility clinic, is charging patients with no coronavirus symptoms approximately $187 if they choose to have a test.
Medical experts in the UK say that both of these groups of patients should be able to obtain a free test through the NHS's test and trace service. Sarah Norcross, the director of the Progress Educational Trust (PET), contends that fertility clinics should not take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic in seeking profit.
She adds that although additional costs are expected due to personal protective equipment for staff and patients and coronavirus tests, over-charging still must not be done. Gwenda Burns from the Fertility Network charity echoes the sentiment by saying patients must be supported during this trying time and not exploited in any way.
Unnecessary COVID Testing
The HFEA has not ordered clinics to test people wanting to go through IVF. Still, guidelines from the British Fertility Society and Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists advise that clinics 'consider starting a testing policy as soon as achievable'.
Care Fertility declared that COVID tests are not compulsory before their IVF treatments and neither do they insist on in-house testing. Create Fertility is reportedly charging $94 for the tests, whereas the Evewell clinic in London is imposing $102.
Moreover, Care Fertility is charging $187 for symptom-free IVF treatment patients to be tested, and $56 for an antibody blood test to check if they have caught the virus in the past. Evewell claims it did not make any profit from the testings while Fertility Plus did not respond to appeals for a comment.
