By Dr. Shweta Agarwal, MBBS, DGO Medically reviewed by Dr. Shweta Agarwal, MBBS, DGO Last updated: June 2026
Information on this page is educational and does not replace a medical consultation. Outcomes depend on individual clinical factors.
Aansh Hospital & IVF Center is a government-registered Level-2 ART clinic (Reg. No. MH/AC/2024/15441/L2/Chandrapur/132), part of a growing chain of fertility centers across Vidarbha and northern Telangana, with our headquarters and in-house embryology lab in Chandrapur. Our government ART registration covers regulated fertility treatment including IVF, ICSI, blastocyst culture, and embryo cryopreservation, all performed on-site by our own embryology team.
One of the most common sources of distress during an IVF journey is a bill that is significantly higher than the figure a couple had in their mind at the start. The advertised package price was in the ₹1,20,000 – ₹2,40,000 per-cycle range, but by the time the cycle ended the total was far more — and the extra charges were not unexpected by the clinic, only by the patient.
This guide walks through every line item that typically appears in an IVF cycle, explains which components are commonly bundled into a headline package price and which are almost always billed separately, and gives you a practical checklist of questions to ask before signing anything. Knowing the structure — even without exact figures — means you can compare quotes intelligently and plan your finances with confidence.
In Marathi, patients often ask us: आयव्हीएफ खर्चात नक्की काय समाविष्ट आहे? — "What is exactly included in the IVF cost?" This page is the answer.
What does a standard IVF package typically cover?
A standard IVF package, as quoted by most fertility clinics, typically bundles three core procedural components: the egg retrieval procedure (including the operating room, anaesthesia, and the retrieval itself), the embryology lab work for fertilisation and embryo culture up to Day 3 or Day 5, and a single fresh embryo transfer. The package may also include baseline consultations and the monitoring scans and blood tests that happen during the stimulation phase, though this varies widely by clinic. Some packages explicitly include ICSI; many do not.
What this means in practice is that a package price represents the procedural and lab infrastructure of one cycle — but it does not account for the medications needed to make that cycle happen, any advanced lab techniques beyond standard culture, or what happens to any surplus embryos after the transfer.
Before comparing prices across clinics, confirm in writing: what does this specific figure include? Does it cover monitoring scans and blood tests, or are those billed per-visit? Is ICSI included or added on? Does blastocyst culture to Day 5 cost extra? At Aansh, we provide transparent, written cost estimates before any procedure begins so the total is confirmed — not discovered — as the cycle progresses.
Are stimulation medications included in the package price?
Stimulation medications are almost always excluded from the headline package price, and they are typically the single largest variable cost in an IVF cycle. This is the item that most patients do not anticipate when they see an advertised figure.
During ovarian stimulation, daily injectable hormones — primarily FSH, sometimes combined with LH — are administered for roughly 10–12 days to encourage the ovaries to mature multiple follicles. The quantity and type of medication is individualised to each patient based on AMH level, antral follicle count, age, body weight, and prior stimulation history. This means the medication cost can vary substantially from one patient to another even within the same clinic and the same protocol.
As a general structure, patients with low ovarian reserve or poor prior response may require higher doses (and therefore higher medication cost), while patients with PCOS may need a more cautious, lower-dose protocol with additional monitoring to reduce OHSS risk. Neither can be known precisely before the cycle begins, which is part of why medications are quoted separately: the clinic cannot bundle a fixed figure that would be fair to every patient.
Final cost depends on individual clinical evaluation — see Costs & EMI for current pricing.
Ask your clinic: what is the typical medication cost range for my profile, based on my AMH and AFC? Ask them to give you a low, mid, and high estimate. This single question can close the gap between what you expected to pay and what you actually pay.
Is ICSI included, or is it a separate charge?
ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) is a specific fertilisation technique in which a single selected sperm is injected directly into each mature egg by the embryologist. It is used when sperm count, motility, or morphology is significantly reduced, when surgically retrieved sperm is being used, or when a previous IVF cycle had poor fertilisation with standard insemination. For many couples presenting for IVF, ICSI is the clinically appropriate fertilisation method.
Whether ICSI is bundled into the package price or charged as an add-on depends on the clinic. At some clinics ICSI is standard and included; at others, a quoted package assumes standard IVF (co-incubation of eggs and sperm) and ICSI is added separately. If male-factor infertility is part of the clinical picture — which it is in a significant proportion of couples — this distinction matters considerably.
Final cost depends on individual clinical evaluation — see Costs & EMI for current pricing.
The ICSI treatment page explains when ICSI is clinically indicated. The semen analysis guide explains which parameter values typically prompt its use. If either partner's fertility assessment suggests ICSI is likely to be needed, clarify upfront whether it is in the quoted figure.
What is blastocyst culture, and does it cost extra?
After fertilisation, embryos are cultured in the embryology lab. In a standard IVF cycle, embryos are assessed at Day 3 (the cleavage stage) and the best available embryo is transferred. Blastocyst culture means the embryos are cultured for a further two to three days — to Day 5 or Day 6 — to allow natural selection: only those with the developmental strength to reach the blastocyst stage are transferred or frozen.
Blastocyst culture is associated with better embryo selection — a blastocyst has already passed several developmental checkpoints that a Day 3 embryo has not — but it requires a higher-specification lab environment and greater embryologist time. It is also not appropriate in every case: if a patient produces only one or two embryos, culturing to Day 5 carries the risk that no blastocyst forms and there is nothing to transfer. The decision is made by the embryologist based on the number and quality of embryos at Day 3.
Many clinics charge blastocyst culture as an additional fee on top of the standard package. Confirm whether Day 5 culture is included in your quote, or an add-on — and understand that the clinical decision about whether to go to blastocyst may not be known until Day 3 of the cycle.
Final cost depends on individual clinical evaluation — see Costs & EMI for current pricing.
The blastocyst culture page explains the technique and when it is recommended.
Are embryo freezing and annual cryostorage included?
If the cycle produces more embryos than are transferred in the fresh cycle, those surplus embryos can be vitrified (flash-frozen) and stored for future use. This is one of the most valuable aspects of a successful IVF cycle: frozen embryos give you additional attempts without repeating the full stimulation and retrieval process.
Embryo freezing typically involves a one-time vitrification fee per embryo or per batch, plus an annual cryostorage fee for as long as the embryos remain in storage. These fees are almost universally separate from the package price. Some clinics bundle the vitrification of surplus embryos into the cycle cost; most do not.
This means: if your cycle produces five good embryos and you transfer one fresh, the vitrification and storage of the remaining four will add to the total cost beyond the original package figure.
The vitrification fee itself varies by clinic and by the number of embryos — final cost depends on individual clinical evaluation, see Costs & EMI for current pricing. Cryostorage is typically charged at approximately ₹1,000 per month per straw.
Ask: is vitrification of surplus embryos included in my package, or charged per embryo? What is the annual storage fee, and how is renewal handled?
What does a frozen embryo transfer (FET) cost?
A frozen embryo transfer is a separate cycle from the original IVF cycle — and a separate cost. In a FET cycle, the uterus is prepared (either in a natural cycle or with medication), the frozen embryo is thawed and assessed, and it is transferred. There is no stimulation, no egg retrieval, and no egg retrieval anaesthesia in a FET — which makes it considerably less expensive than a full IVF cycle — but it does involve consultation, monitoring scans, medication to prepare the endometrium, the lab work of thawing and warming the embryo, and the transfer procedure itself.
If you are planning your IVF finances and you have surplus embryos, factor in the likely cost of one or more FET cycles as part of your overall treatment budget. Many couples who eventually have a successful pregnancy do so via a FET rather than the original fresh transfer.
Final cost depends on individual clinical evaluation — see Costs & EMI for current pricing.
The frozen embryo transfer page explains the FET process in detail.
What is PGT (preimplantation genetic testing), and how is it priced?
Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) is an optional add-on that involves biopsying a few cells from each embryo at the blastocyst stage, sending those cells to a specialist genetics laboratory, and receiving a report on the chromosomal status (PGT-A) or specific genetic mutation status (PGT-M) of each embryo before transfer. Only embryos confirmed as chromosomally normal or unaffected are then transferred.
PGT is not a standard part of any IVF package — it is a separate, significant additional cost. The total PGT cost has two components: the biopsy procedure fee (performed by the embryologist at Aansh during the IVF cycle) and the genetics lab analysis fee (charged by the specialist genetics lab, which is a third-party cost). The genetics lab fee is typically charged per embryo biopsied, which means the cost scales with the number of embryos.
PGT is indicated in specific clinical scenarios — recurrent implantation failure, recurrent pregnancy loss, a known chromosomal translocation in one partner, or advanced maternal age with concern about embryo chromosomal status. It is not recommended for every cycle, and the decision requires a clinical discussion.
Final cost depends on individual clinical evaluation — see Costs & EMI for current pricing.
The PGT genetic testing page explains when PGT is indicated and the process involved.
What other add-ons might appear on an IVF invoice?
Beyond the major line items above, several other components may appear on a detailed IVF invoice. Understanding what each is — and when it is clinically indicated rather than routine — helps you ask the right questions.
Laser-assisted hatching (LAH): Before an embryo can implant, it must hatch out of its outer shell (the zona pellucida). LAH uses a precise infrared laser to create a small opening in the zona to facilitate this. It is used selectively based on embryo morphology — for example, embryos with an unusually thick zona, or frozen-thawed embryos — not as a routine step for every transfer. Some clinics include it automatically; others charge it as an add-on. Confirm whether it is included or conditional.
Endometrial receptivity assessment (ERA or similar): A biopsy of the uterine lining to assess the optimal timing of embryo transfer, recommended primarily for patients with recurrent implantation failure despite good embryos. This is a separate procedure with a separate fee, including a lab analysis cost.
Sperm DNA fragmentation testing: A diagnostic test separate from the standard semen analysis, recommended in selected cases. Priced separately from both the semen analysis and the IVF cycle.
Surgical sperm retrieval (PESA / TESE / micro-TESE): If the male partner requires surgical sperm retrieval because sperm cannot be obtained by ejaculation, this is a separate procedure with a separate fee, typically performed by a urologist on the day of egg retrieval.
Repeat or additional monitoring scans: Some packages include a fixed number of monitoring scans during stimulation; if additional scans are clinically required, these may be billed separately.
For each of these, the question to ask is: is this included in my quote, is it conditional (recommended based on clinical findings), or is it entirely optional? Getting the answer in writing means no item should appear on your bill as a surprise.