Practice Partner Joins VC Round. Cites Physician Control, Patient Experience
The high cost of in vitro fertilization (IVF) remains a significant barrier to care, but strategic investments in fertility solutions are emerging as a way to drive change.
Dr. Sherif G. Awadalla, Managing Partner at the Institute for Reproductive Health, recently joined in a $14million venture capital investment in Gaia, the value-based family building company
"Patients are correct—IVF treatment is too expensive," Awadalla emphasized. "Complicating things further, there is a lack of pricing transparency. It is often difficult to find out how much the procedure costs at different programs. Most programs will not give out their pricing unless the patient actually comes in for an appointment."
The financial uncertainty does not end with the initial cost inquiry. Patients often face unpredictable outcomes, including whether the treatment will lead to a successful pregnancy and whether insurance will cover any portion of the cost. "Will they get pregnant? A live birth? Will their insurance company cover some or all of the cost?" Dr. Awadalla added. These unknowns create significant financial and emotional stress for patients seeking fertility treatment.
Get More IVF-Ready Patients Now
Get Paid Faster!
Gaia is only partnering with fertility centers with excellent success rates. Get in touch with Gaia to see if you are eligible to:
Protect your patients from unnecessary financial risk
Fill your schedules with IVF-ready patients
Improve your revenue cycle management
Increase your patient satisfaction scores
Just email Kay Colegrove, to see if Gaia can start sending you IVF-ready patients.
The Shift to Corporate Ownership Limits Physician Control
As IVF has evolved over the decades, the landscape of fertility care has shifted from independent practices to corporate ownership, further complicating financial flexibility for patients. "Medical offices shifted from independent practices to hospital or corporate-owned practices. With these changes come consequences. The most obvious is the loss of physician control. If the doctor owns the practice and the patient needs help affording the treatment, often an internal grant to reduce cost can be offered. In the corporate setting, the doctor is not free to make this or other decisions," Dr. Awadalla noted.
Investing in Fertility Solutions
Dr. Awadalla first discovered Gaia while exploring financing options for self-pay patients. "I had been looking for some time for financing options for patients and even considering starting a 'Priceline' model for IVF treatment. I felt that the self-pay patient needed an advocate and a path that offered visibility as to pricing. I then listened to Nader Alsalim's interview on Inside Reproductive Health Podcast and heard about Gaia."
Gaia’s innovative approach to fertility financing stood out. "I liked the fact that it was a solution for the self-pay uninsured patient; that it basically offered a money-back option. We do have an internal money-back guarantee but do not have solid financing options. The idea of paying something and then making payments on the rest only if you have a live birth is highly appealing to patients."
$14 Million Funding Investment Impact
Recognizing Gaia’s potential to reshape the IVF marketplace, Dr. Awadalla invested in the company’s recent $14 million funding round. "Gaia will improve patient care and ultimately will be profitable. My investment is to support patient care. This is an opportunity to develop a national patient-oriented network for those that have to pay for IVF themselves."
Dr. Awadalla sees the potential for Gaia to exert market pressure that could lead to more rational pricing across the industry. "One of the problems of our field is that there is a poor understanding of how elastic demand is for IVF. I believe that it is highly elastic. Patients will travel long distances for lower-cost programs even understanding that the success rate may be less! More rational pricing for IVF will increase volume, which is good for patients and providers."
"This is an opportunity to develop a national patient-oriented network for those that have to pay for IVF themselves," Dr. Awadalla reiterated.
Get More IVF-Ready Patients Now
Get Paid Faster!
Gaia is only partnering with fertility centers with excellent success rates. Get in touch with Gaia to see if you are eligible to:
Protect your patients from unnecessary financial risk
Fill your schedules with IVF-ready patients
Improve your revenue cycle management
Increase your patient satisfaction scores
Just email Kay Colegrove, to see if Gaia can start sending you IVF-ready patients.