Navigating fertility care in another country can be incredibly complex. That's one of the reasons why we are thrilled to spotlight our partner IVF Spain, a premier fertility center in Spain that has been recognized globally for its excellence in patient care, innovative technology, and expertise in complex cases and cross border reproductive care (CBRC).
As the leading global fertility benefits provider, Carrot has supported multinational companies and their employees with accessing care in Spain for more than three years. Carrot members can receive quality care through Carrot's global directory of reimbursement-eligible providers. In addition to being reimbursement-eligible, Carrot’s partner clinics meet rigorous Standards of Excellence in fertility care and patient satisfaction, and have deep expertise helping patients through complex fertility care. Carrot members have access to high quality care and savings at three IVF Spain locations in Alicante, Madrid, and Donostia-San Sebastian.
I sat down with Founder, President, and Medical Director Dr. Jon Aizpurua of IVF Spain to hear more about the center and address some of the most common questions people ask before beginning their fertility journeys in Spain or through CBRC in Europe and elsewhere.
Why is Spain a key destination for cross border reproductive care?
One aspect that supports Spain being a destination for fertility care is the legal framework that protects assisted reproductive techniques. Our Assisted Reproduction Act is one of the most advanced in the world and is often used as a model for other countries. It’s a permissive law, giving patients and clinicians a plethora of care options while still being very protective of patients and embryos. In this framework, it’s important to note that single women and female partners are treated as equals in fertility access.
Treatment in Spain, as with all private healthcare, is fairly priced. The cost of living in Spain is lower than many European countries, so our prices match the buying power of the general public. This means that the quality of healthcare is state of the art while still at a more accessible price than you may find in other countries.
We are delighted to partner with Carrot to be able to help remove the financial barriers to outstanding fertility care to more people throughout Spain and elsewhere.
Why do so many patients choose IVF Spain for their family building needs?
We offer a wide range of services to cover almost every possible, legally-allowed situation. We have a robust egg donation program with no waiting lists, and we have availability of donors from all backgrounds. All donations in Spain are anonymous — and egg donations are no different — but that is part of what makes the culture surrounding donation so strong in Spain and makes our country a world leader in all kinds of donations.
We have doctors and staff that speak multiple languages, and we can offer support throughout the process including travel and accommodation, local pharmacy support, emergency contact around the clock, and more. We also have a network of doctors around the world who know us and support our shared patients where needed.
Finally, IVF Spain has a diverse patient base, with more than 80% coming from abroad. This gives us a clear understanding for how to handle all situations that may arise during a cycle of cross border reproductive care.
How has COVID-19 changed fertility care from your perspective?
As clinicians, we’ve all learned a lot about what support for patients can look like. Patient care doesn't have to be in person, but having a video call whenever our patients need it means a lot.
Flexibility is key. There is a lot that can be planned ahead of time to give patients control of their care and make getting back into treatment easier and quicker. Even if plans are put on hold due to restrictions that are beyond anyone's control, keeping in close contact with our patients and letting them know that we are their support system has been critical for us all.
We’ve also taken this push to focus on excelling at patient care from a distance, improving our care coverage and offering tandem care. Tandem care means we're not only assigning one doctor and one assistant to each patient — now, each doctor works with a team, as well as a fellow physician, who cares for each patient. This means that care is continuous and patients can count on support every day of the week and around the clock.
If you are a fertility care or family-forming service provider interested in supporting Carrot members, or you would like to learn more about working with Carrot, please contact us at providers@get-carrot.com.
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