Frequently Asked Questions
- Why should you choose the Columbia Fertility Associates?
- Are your laboratories accredited??
- Do Columbia Fertility Associates report statistics to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART)?
- Will my doctor be making all the decisions for my treatment and will he/she be there to perform my egg retrieval and embryo transfer?
- Do all insurance companies cover infertility?
- What questions should I ask my insurance?
- Do you have an age limit for fertility treatment?
Why should you choose Columbia Fertility Associates?
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Doctors Rafat Abbasi, Safa Rifka and Preston Sacks are board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Maurice Butler is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Richard Sherins is board certified in Internal Medicine. All of our doctors are highly regarded in their specific specialties.
- We are conveniently located at three locations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
- Our services are competitively priced.
- We have top quality staff committed to providing you with the best and most up-to-date medical treatment available.
- Our laboratory is equipped with the latest and most advanced equipment.
- But most of all our greatest asset is our commitment to personalized and compassionate patient care in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
Are your laboratories accredited?
All of our laboratories are registered in the District of Columbia, Maryland or Virginia. They have been inspected by appropriate agencies and received certificates of accreditation.
The IVF Laboratory in Washington, D.C. has been inspected and accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) since 2003.
Inspections occur every two years. The last inspection was conducted in August 2003. For patients accreditation is assurance that the laboratory meets the highest standards of excellence as recognized by its peers.
Do Columbia Fertility Associates report statistics to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART)?
All programs performing assisted reproductive technology cycles are required by law to report their data to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Columbia Fertility Associates are members of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) and report their data to the CDC through SART.
Will my doctor be making all the decisions for my treatment and will he/she be there to perform my egg retrieval and embryo transfer?
Most of the time your own doctor will be making the decisions during your infertility treatment cycles. However, there are times when your doctor may not be available and another doctor from the practice may have to be consulted.
Your retrieval and transfer will be scheduled with your individual physician whenever possible. We do not have a "scheduled" day when each doctor perfoms all the procedures that day no matter who's patient.
At Columbia Fertility Associates we pride ourselves on providing personalized service and believe that it is important that our patients feel comfortable in knowing that their own doctor is intimately involved in their treatment. This commitment to our patients is what makes us different from other programs in the region.
Do all insurance companies cover infertility?
Not all insurance companies cover infertility treatment, but many do cover the diagnostic testing.
Depending on your medical benefits a few will cover treatment. Some even cover IVF. We have knowledgeable insurance specialists who will help verify your coverage.
What questions should I ask my insurance?
Always make sure you get answers to these three questions:
1) "What coverage do I have for diagnostic testing?",
2) "What treatments are covered?" and
3) "Is IVF covered?"
Do not assume that the insurance representative understands infertility treatments. Get the name of the person you are speaking with and write down the date.
It is best to get the information in writing whenever possible. You may have separate coverage for medications. This may mean calling a different number to find out about medication coverage.
Do you have an age limit for fertility treatment?
We know that fertility decreases with age. Women in their forties do not get pregnant as easily and have an increased rate of miscarriage.
However, fertility does not stop on your fortieth birthday. We treat each woman individually and would counsel you on your available options.
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