This News Digest Brought to You by
BUNDL
BY: MELANIE KALMAR
After an initial IVF cycle fails, money and emotions can become a complicated mix for patients without insurance or those who exhausted their benefits.
Disappointed, they might switch to another clinic, especially in markets saturated with competition. But starting over is a mistake. Each cycle gives doctors clinical information that informs how they approach the next one, in order to have a chance at success. By eliminating that step, patients risk wasting time and resources.
Still, it happens. They may even take a break from IVF or use the money for something else and potentially miss out on becoming parents. According to the National Library of Medicine financial burden is the top reason 62.5% of couples drop out of IVF treatment.
BUNDL, an innovative shared risk program, removes financial concerns from the process. Patients pay for two or three IVF cycles upfront at a discount—a full suite of services—and never see another bill again. Most importantly, doctors can automatically move to the next cycle and do what they need to do to help couples start families.
“Statistically, one IVF cycle isn’t enough for patients faced with an infertility diagnosis,” explained Cheryl Campbell, director of operations at BUNDL. “We’re not a lender or financial institution. But we’re helping on the financial piece.”
The program provides the patient with a good experience while giving the practice a chance to retain that patient who might otherwise drop-off. “BUNDL is driving 100% retention,” Campbell said. “Patients want to take off that pressure upfront.”
If a patient has services remaining after a loss, they will pick up right where they left off, Campbell explained. If they don’t and the program ends unsuccessfully, they can reup and try again.
“The risk for BUNDL is you may use more services than we collected for; the risk for the patient is they may leave services on the table,” Campbell explained. “But those funds go back into the program, to help it grow.”
BUNDL is an extension of a participating clinic’s financial counseling center. Doctors refer patients based on their medical histories and/or finances. “We try to mirror what our practices offer, so patients understand they’re getting the same services just at a discounted rate,” Campbell said. Once they pay the enrollment fee, BUNDL takes care of the billing and goes back and forth with the clinic on their behalf.
BUNDL can accept payments from patients until they meet the enrollment fee required to start treatment, direct them to grants or, when applicable, offer tips on how to improve their credit score.
The team at BUNDL understands the client experience because half of them are fertility patients.
“The best conversations we have with patients are ‘I’m pregnant or here’s a picture of my newborn that I had through BUNDL,’” Campbell said. “If you take home a baby that is our measure of success. It’s important that our patients understand we want them to take home a baby.”
Already creating a buzz online, BUNDL directs patients to clinics nationwide that offer the program.
This News Digest Story is paid featured sponsor content, where the Advertiser has editorial control. They do not reflect the views of Inside Reproductive Health.
IVF Center loses >$300,000 from 20 lost patients
This formula calculates the economic value of a fertility center’s patient retention by using your SART data and IVF prices. Email Courtney from BUNDL to get your fertility center’s patient retention valuation calculated for free.
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