A frozen embryo transfer (FET) typically costs between $3,500 and $7,000 for the procedure itself, with total out-of-pocket expenses reaching $4,000 to $8,500 once you factor in medications and related fees. That’s significantly less than a full IVF cycle, which usually runs $12,500 or more, because the egg retrieval, fertilization, and lab work have already been completed.
What the Procedure Fee Covers
The base price for a frozen embryo transfer varies by clinic and region. At the University of Rochester Medical Center, a single FET cycle costs $3,500. Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin charges $3,500 to $3,600. Clinics in higher-cost areas like Georgia quote $5,000 to $7,000. The national range for the procedure alone lands somewhere between $3,500 and $7,000.
That fee generally bundles together everything that happens at the clinic: office visits during the cycle, ultrasound monitoring (usually around four scans), thawing of the embryos, lab preparation, assisted hatching if needed, the transfer itself, and an initial pregnancy test. Some clinics also include a trial transfer, which is a practice run to map the best path into the uterus before the real procedure.
Medication Costs
On top of the procedure fee, you’ll pay for the hormonal medications that prepare your uterine lining. A medicated FET cycle (also called a programmed cycle) requires estrogen to build up the lining and progesterone to make it receptive to the embryo. Some protocols also include a medication to suppress your natural cycle before starting.
Here’s what those medications typically cost:
- Estrogen (patches, pills, or injections): $200 to $500
- Progesterone (injections, suppositories, or vaginal gel): $300 to $1,000
- Cycle suppression medication: $100 to $400
- Additional support medications: $100 to $300
Total medication costs range from $500 to $1,500 or more, depending on your protocol. A natural cycle FET, where your body’s own hormones prepare the lining, requires fewer medications and costs less on the pharmacy side. Your doctor determines the approach based on your cycle regularity and medical history.
How FET Compares to a Fresh Transfer
If you’re comparing a frozen transfer to a full IVF cycle with a fresh transfer, the price difference is substantial. A complete IVF package, which includes ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilization, and a fresh embryo transfer, runs $12,500 to $12,800 at Aurora Health Care, for example. A frozen transfer at the same clinic costs $3,500 to $3,600. The savings come from skipping the most expensive parts of IVF: the stimulation medications (often $3,000 to $5,000 on their own) and the surgical egg retrieval.
This is why many patients who have embryos remaining from an earlier IVF cycle find FET to be a more affordable path to a second or third pregnancy. You’ve already made the largest investment.
Annual Embryo Storage Fees
Before you transfer, your embryos need to stay frozen, and that costs money each year. Storage fees are typically charged as a flat annual rate regardless of how many embryos you have. Tennessee Reproductive Medicine, for example, charges $750 per year for embryo storage. Most clinics fall in the $500 to $1,000 range annually. If you’re storing embryos for several years before transferring, these fees add up and are worth factoring into your total cost.
Insurance Coverage by State
Whether your insurance covers any of this depends heavily on where you live and what kind of plan you have. As of November 2025, 18 states mandate that private insurers cover at least some infertility treatment: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and West Virginia.
The catch is that these mandates vary considerably. Some apply only to certain plan types, like HMOs. Others specify which treatments must or must not be covered. A few set limits on egg retrievals but allow unlimited embryo transfers. California’s state employee plans, for instance, will cover up to three egg retrievals with unlimited transfers starting in 2027. Even in mandate states, your specific plan may have lifetime dollar caps, cycle limits, or require a formal infertility diagnosis before coverage kicks in. Call your insurer and ask specifically about FET coverage, not just “fertility benefits” in general.
If you don’t have insurance coverage, most fertility clinics offer payment plans, and some partner with fertility-specific lenders. A few clinics also offer shared-risk or refund programs, though these are more common for full IVF cycles than standalone FET transfers.
Total Cost Estimate for One FET Cycle
Putting it all together, here’s what a single frozen embryo transfer cycle looks like financially:
- FET procedure: $3,500 to $7,000
- Medications: $500 to $1,500
- Annual embryo storage: $500 to $1,000 (prorated or already paid)
That puts most patients in the $4,000 to $8,500 range for a single cycle before insurance. If the first transfer doesn’t result in a pregnancy and you have remaining embryos, subsequent FET cycles carry the same procedure and medication costs. Success rates per transfer vary based on embryo quality and other factors, so some patients need more than one cycle. Discussing realistic expectations with your clinic before committing financially helps you budget for the full picture rather than just one attempt.