Kaiser Permanente NorCal

My husband and I liked how Dr. Proctor was honest in his approach and was not trying to sell us on additional treatments. He was honest about the success rate and he was also straightforward about whether genetic testing was worth the extra costs or not (for us, we ended up not seeing the added value for how much more money it was but it all depends on the circumstances). Other clinics we went to during our research, really tried to sell people on the genetic testing but Dr. Proctor was not like that. During my visits, as I mentioned, I felt he was a bit overworked at the time but he was always present. When the cycle was not going so well at first, he made adjustments and I could see that he had to make a decision based on a gut feeling & probably prior experience on whether I should take meds for another day or not. I had no idea what to do in that situation so had to trust him, which I did, and I ended up getting pregnant. I didn't have a very emotional connection with him but I got that with the nurses so I felt fine about that. Having gone through a lot before this point, I understand that the doctor being skilled and experienced is more important than him/her being my emotional support. I can get that elsewhere. I am paying for a professional, skilled IVF doctor; not a therapist.

When going to this clinic, see it as a whole team. What you may not get from Dr. Proctor (emotional support, touchy feely etc.), you can get from the nurses, family/friends, etc. He is skilled and honest and we had a good experience with him.

I unfortunately don't remember all of the specifics of what type of meds/dosages I took. But probably a third of the way through, he increased my dosage to the maximum since I was not producing eggs on the right side (I had ovarian cyst removal on that side so not surprising). This did help with the egg production but I still didn't produce a ton of eggs. Towards the end of my injection cycle, I had 4 really good eggs on the left side and he wondered if we should do one more day of injections in order to see if the right side would catch up... but in the end, he decided to NOT do this in order to not risk compromising those 4 eggs that were ready and looking good. In the end, we ended up with 4 great embryos (one of which is due to be born in two weeks!), and although we can't prove this, Dr. Proctor believes that those 4 embryos were most likely from those 4 great eggs. This is a decision he made that could have gone the other way- he could have decided to go another day of meds and those eggs could have been compromised. Even though I did not produce a ton of eggs (7 total), 5 fertilized and 4 became embryos which is a really great outcome considering the low amount of eggs.

I didn't love this aspect but in the end it worked fine. There was just one day that I got there a bit later and I had to wait almost two hours. Luckily it was a day I didn't have to work so it wasn't as bad. But even when you had to wait, there was a nice waiting room with seating etc.

$15,000

Dr. Proctor did say that someone my age (39 at the time of transfer), would normally put 2-3 eggs in. My husband and I had done research and decided to just put one embryo in for this first transfer. If it hadn't of worked, we may have done two the next time. But for this first transfer, that is what we did. Dr. Proctor left the decision to us and did not try to convince us otherwise. I told him our rationale (riskier pregnancy for babies and mom, very hard and expensive to have two babies especially where we live, we don't have family nearby to help us, etc. ) and he agreed those are major factors to consider when deciding. He respected our decision.

My experience had some great times but also some frustrating and sad moments. There were times when looking over test results or images when I was told over and over again what a unique case I had and I wish I could give you more information. Dr. Proctor was willing to explore different tests and procedures and was honest with the fact that they may not give us any new answers.

To be open to suggested tests and procedures but at the same time be prepared that the answers you receive may not be the ones you want to hear.

I remember starting with the basic blood work and a couple imaging tests, mri, ultrasounds and some other stuff. From there seeing as there was a blockage somewhere surgery to explore and see if they could find the source was done with no real answers found.

The cost ranged from visit to visit depending on what was going on and what tests needed to be run. My insurance covered 50% of the cost for most of the visits and tests. I did have to pay some of them fully out of pocket.

I really like Dr. Shen. She is very thorough and caring. The downside is I don’t see her often. She’s has only performed one iui and seen me for one scan, besides the initial consult. I also think after a few unsuccessful cycles it would be good to sit down again and Go over options again.

Ask as many questions in the consult with her because you may not see her again for awhile.

We started with Clomid and iui. Unsuccessful. We used then did two more iui cycles with higher dosages. Still unsuccessful. We then went to letrozole and still unsuccessful.

They were clear in my consult going over what my coverage was and how much I would pay for each service

Dr. G is hard to work with. Sometime he would be super helpful and insightful. Other times he would be harsh in his explanations and bedside manner. He shared his opinions and that last straw we decided not to work with him any longer.

Have a hard shell and ask a lot of question. Be prepared for harsh answers.

They worked with me for making the schedule I wanted. We started with clinic and after a failed iui resulting in a missed ectopic we went on the injectables.

We had 50% coverage so in the beginning our first few treatments were around $500 for clomid and iui. We then did injections and iui which became more costly at $3000. They seemed reasonable at the time.

Dr. Tan was an excellent communicator, extremely thorough, and passionate about his work. He always took the time to answer our questions. We never felt rushed at every appointment. He was honest and objective, but also compassionate.

Ask as many questions as you need to.

Because of diminished ovarian reserve, we were prescribed Fallustum and Menopur.

It was very expensive.

Not sure

Infertility is such a personal, isolating, difficult struggle, but Dr. Proctor really understood me and he “spoke my language.” He put my options into terms that made the most sense to me and for my specific situation. He was amazing!

Trust him. He knows what he’s talking about and he will advise you in your best interests.

Dr. Proctor said to me, “What would be worse—not getting pregnant with this cycle of IVF or getting pregnant with twins.” I decided that I needed to get pregnant that cycle, I chose to transfer 2 embryos, and I got pregnant with twins.

Dr. Proctor was very responsive. Even when I got a second opinion outside of Kaiser or cycled outside, he was willing to run whatever tests and suggestions the other doctors provided. Whenever I had a cycle outside of Kaiser and I asked him to run the beta so my insurance would cover it, he personally called me with the results.

Worth the wait? (Last time I heard it was 4-6 months to cycle). Very possibly.

Both cycles were high dose antagonist protocols. One detriment of Kaiser is that you work with their cycle, not yours.

Cost with ICSI was probably around $11000-12000

Very professional yet friendly. He was a very busy doctor but I never felt rushed with him. He was quick with all appointments and procedures, but thorough. He was amazing at getting back to any questions via email; he was very prompt and fully answered the multiple questions I had.

Don’t hesitate to email him with questions.

Very quick but thorough

He seemed to generally suggest that women under 32 or so should have a single transfer.

she told me to always call or email her with any questions. when i did, she told me i should be calling the ivf nurses. she is all bait and switch. if she thinks she has a patient that has a better chance at being successful and making her stats better then she will take your spot and give it to someone else.

stay away from her. she is poison. she will promise the world and then lie. she lacks compassion and is always in a rush. she is only worried about her own stats. she does not care about you, her ivf calendar is always full.

$17k not including meds or pgs

Dr. Shen is good at what she does. She has years of experience and really cares for her patients. She is intent on a positive outcome. She loves to meet your baby when he/she arrives. I love her for changing my life.

Ask lots of questions, be flexible, patient and positive. Do not overthink things and stay away from Doctor Google. Rely on the doctor's advise. Trust her.

$8,700 for a fresh cycle and $3500 for drugs. If you qualified for ESET and the intital transfer failed, two additional FETs are free.

When I did the initial consultation he did a very good job explaining what will happen. He was very clear about what needs to be done, and how it will be done. Although, I feel like there were some things that were strict (ie choosing a sperm donor), I could tell he did it in my best interest. When I had to do an ultrasound to see how my follicles were doing, he did a great job explaining on what he was looking for.

Talk a little bit slower.

Needing to take clomid and the trigger shot-- he did a great job explaining everything and why I should consider taking it. He was also saying how we can try naturally if I wanted. He never pressured me, he just explained everything out thoroughly and allowed me to decide on my own.

My insurance covers about 50% of IUI treatments. So I did an estimate, for the doctor costs, and it's a little over $1,000.

If I would do IVF again I would only go to Dr. Tan. I felt very comfortable. He is kind, caring, human. It was so touching the way he would make sure I am OK before and after the procedure. I remember his worried look when he was checking for a heart beat of my babies. How genuinely sorry he was when I had a loss. How happy he was when he saw the heart beat of my son. It almost like it his baby. And I feel that my son is his baby too because Dr. Tan helped to make this miracle happen with his knowledge and skills and care.

Go with your gut. Trust and belive in yourself and Dr. Tan.

I do not remember dosage and name of the meds. Each patient is unique, and the body's response is different. Doctor will test and suggest the strategy and dosage.

Unfortunately, I insurance did not cover IVF, only testing and appointments.

He is extremely knowledgeable but he can be a little forgetful (definitely remind him of small things like look for polyps etc). He struggled with my second IUI but he was able to eventually figure it out. He is a funny personable guy.

Ask all the questions you have. Dr proctor will answer them fully.

I had already done HSG beforehand, so we went straight to IUI (I had left tube blocked and husband sometimes sperm had low motility).

Insurance covered only partially.

N/a

He was very open with me about the medical issues standing in my way, as well as what needed to be done. He performed my laparascopy and diagnosed me with Stage 3 Endo. Because of my low ovarian reserve and egg quality he suggested only doing 3 IUI's before moving onto IVF (which his clinic does not offer), and was great with referring me to an IVF clinic when those 3 did not take.

He has your best interest at heart, please take his advice.

I had 4 attempted IUI cycles with him, all 4 I was on Letrozole only - no ijnectibles due to cost/coverage. The first was cancelled due to my lining being too thin, but the other three were completed. After the first cycle he upped my Letrozole dose. For each cycle I only had 2-3 follicles.

About $800 per IUI cycle.

He has since retired. But he was straight to the point. He was very quiet but explained everything very good. He knew what he was doing. He liked to review the information before telling you the results or outcomes.

Don’t get discouraged by his nuetral affect. He’s good at what he does.

We tried Clomid for a 3 cycles. Nothing happened. Then we changed to Letrozole. Then letrozole wirh IUI’s. Nothing happens. The cycle that I got pregnant. We did Letrozole for 4 days, then menopur, trigger shot, then IUI. Then I took progesterone tabs vaginally starting on 7th day.

My insurance paid for 50% of all test and procedure.

Dr. Platia was very knowledgeable and understanding. She explained the process very clearly and the results of my tests and IUI's. She was the main doctor that set dosages and procedures for each cycle and met with us after each cycle to discuss results and determine next cycle dosages. She did the actual IUI's maybe 2 out of the 6 times. The other times were done by another doctor.

Definitely advocate for yourself and ask all the questions you need to ask. Dr. Platia is very supportive and tries her best to work within the Kaiser system to give you want you need.

We started off with 2 rounds of letrozole and 4 rounds of clomid. She started with the lowest dosage first and then increased them each time. Her goal was to use the least amount of medication, but after we realized I was not responding as well as I could be, she increased it to the highest dosage to give me a better chance.

My insurance covered 50% of IUI services. I did 6 cycles with medication, totaling about $2500 for all 6 cycles. I think the total cost for 6 cycles would have been much more without insurance because it seems like my insurance covered some items at 100%.

I would describe my experience as a patient as perfectly average. Dr. Hirata was nice and approachable but didn't necessarily wow me with information or style. I got the sense that she uses the same approach for each patient, but that could be an unfair assessment. She gave a helpful overview of IUI and the medication options. She was very willing to change courses and order certain tests, but only after I asked for them, so I felt I really needed to do a lot of my own research. She would advocate for me, but only if I specifically asked for something. There were times she was a little forgetful about things we'd done in the past, so again, I had to be quite diligent. After 2 IUIs with her, we decided to move on to IVF, so I had to change clinics because she does not offer that.

Do your own research prior to meeting with her.

First IUI was 7.5mg Letrozole, no trigger shot (we planned to trigger, but when I went for a monitoring ultrasound, I was about to ovulate so she determined there was no need for a trigger). Second IUI was 10mg Letrozole, trigger shot. Both resulted in negative tests. She explained the option of using Clomid, but it seemed to have too many side effects with not as positive of results. She also explained using gonadotropins but said not many people use those with IUI. She also performed an HSG and Saline Sonogram, but only after I asked for them.

I have 50% coverage so the IUIs were each about $200. HSG and Saline Sonogram were about the same.

NA - they don't do IVF at Kaiser Oakland.

Dr. Hirata was on time and tried to get me in and out of appointments quickly unless I had questions or concerns or fears, then she would sit down and talk me through my anxiety and answer all my questions. She was compassionate and understanding of I needed to sit and cry for a few minutes, always having tissues on hand. She adjusted my medications when needed and always had a next plan of action. She told be the truth about everything without being too blunt or making me feel hopeless.

If you’re a nervous person like I am, go to Dr. Hirata. She’s very good at calming your nerves and having next step plans ready to go.

I believe Dr. Hirata has me start on 50 mg of clomid & then increased it to 75, 100, 150 etc until there was an egg. When we did our first IUI with no success she switched me to letrizol which also didn’t work. She wanted to treat me slowly as to not give me OHSS.

I had a $5 copay per procedure/visit

Dr. Nelson requests calls shortly after each treatment to review how I was feeling and potential next steps. He always greets each call asking how I'm doing and if I have any questions. He ends each call confirming that I'm clear with next steps and making sure all of my questions and concerns are answered.

Be as honest as possible. He's very compassionate and non-judgmental.

We initially attempted a Clomid cycle with no IUI. Unfortunately, the medication left me with some unwanted side effects so he switched me to Letrozole for the next cycle. After a couple of Letrozole cycles with IUI, we decided to try Menopur with IUI. The Menopur did not yield greater results so we resumed Letrozole and waiting for another IUI. Dr. Nelson did recommend IVF after our first consultation but due to costs, we decided to go this route.

My husband has a good health insurance plan so costs of medications and co-pays are minimal. His insurance covers IUIs but does not cover IVF. Insurance through my employer does not cover IVF and IUI costs are higher.

Dr. Nelson was an IVF doctor but Kaiser does not offer that service at the Oakland facility so he did not make any recommendations regarding embryo transfers.

When I first met Dr. Nelson, we had a lengthy appointment to go over all of my lab results and talk through next steps. It was a lot to absorb since I was just starting this process. He took time to answer all the questions my husband and I had at the time and really provided a lot of information. He was super attentive, thoughtful and a good listener. However, I realized later that when I left, I really wasn't sure how to move forward. He talked through all the benefits of IVF but didn't necessarily recommend that I start that immediately. Should we just keep trying? How soon should I start fertility treatments? At what point do I need to seriously consider or move to IVF, etc? I had a lot of information but really wasn't sure how to move forward. After a couple of months with no success, I expressed this frustration to him and we started putting together a plan. One of the hard parts about this process is never knowing when to start something different. I kept getting pregnant every few months, which gave me hope but the pregnancies didn't last. Once I expressed all of this to Dr. Nelson, he was really helpful in starting to put a plan together, which included beginning to take medication and then a few months later moving to IUI. Kaiser has a team of fertility doctors all working together. Every month I would put a plan together with Dr. Nelson but wouldn't see him for my visits; my baseline appointments, my check ups just before ovulation and IUI were all with other doctors. I would then have a phone appointment with Dr. Nelson around the time by period was due to talk next steps and a potential plan for the next cycle. At first the interaction with all of the other doctors was a little challenging, this is hard and emotional and it was difficult for me to share some of this with a small group of physicians, even though everyone was professional and thoughtful. After a couple of cycles, I got more comfortable with the process and the team. Since I have been unsuccessful with IUI, I'm now beginning the process of preparing for IVF. Dr. Nelson used to perform IVF and has a wealth of information to share about the process, what to expect and how my body might react to the medication. Although I have watched videos and read books about the process, his consultation has been comforting and really informative. I feel like I understand the process much better and what I might expect. Overall, Kaiser moves slowly with fertility- I was frustrated by the initial process of getting my lab work done, identifying needed tests and treatments. As a patient you have to be really proactive and articulate what you are looking for and what help you need. Once the process started moving and I got connected with Dr. Nelson, it was important to maintain regular communication and let him know what I was looking for and what questions I had. Once he was aware of what I needed, we mapped out a plan for my care and how best to move forward. Overall, I have been really happy with him.

Think about your questions ahead of time (if you can) and be upfront about your needs. He has a ton of information but none of that matters if he doesn't know what you are looking for. He is much more comfortable with phone calls than email but his schedule fills up so its good to get on his calendar regularly.

We tried three cycles of ovulation stimulation (one round of clomid and two of letrozole) with timed intercourse. When those didn't work we tried three rounds of IUI- all with letrozole. I initially wasn't ready for IUI so we tried the first process to see if we had any luck and then moved to IUI. I got pregnant my second cycle with IUI but my HCG levels were low (around 10) so I knew the pregnancy wouldn't last. I got my period 3/4 days later.

I have good health insurance coverage for Kaiser so all of my appointments and treatments were covered. I had $10 co-pays for some medications but overall very little out of pocket costs. If I move to IVF- at Kaiser or elsewhere none of those services will be covered.

She is down to earth and pragmatic. She has a sense of humor and is blunt. Being that I'm over 40, the news on fertility rates isn't great and she was always very honest about that. But I am not sold on IVF so she was willing to work with my for more IUIs that others may endure. She listened to my concerns, hopes and fears.

She is down to earth and has heard it all so don't be afraid to ask any questions you have.

I did 3 natural IUIs with frozen sperm, using an at home OPK test. Then I had 3 IUIs with Letrozole during day 3-7, with an Ovedrel trigger shot for one and an at home OPK for the other. I had to have ultrasounds before the Letrozole and then before the trigger shot. Then I took 2 months off and am doing Letrozole with the Ovedrel trigger. I will have my 6th IUI tomorrow.

My insurance covered half of the costs for the IUIs. I think it was about $150 for the IUI and $120 for the ultrasounds. The Letrozole was very cheap, $4, but the Ovedrel was about $100.

no comment

Dr. Nelson is a wonderful provider, and I've felt very informed and supported by him throughout the process of IUI's and one miscarriage. He has adjusted treatment as needed, and is the right amount of realistic and hopeful.

Unfortunately, many of our contacts are on the phone and because of the nature of scheduling apts around my cycle and schedule I don't often see him for ultrasounds, IUI's.

I have regular, but anovulatory cycles. All treatment is aimed to help me ovulate. Clomid + HCG trigger + IUI x1, negative with short luteal phase Clomid + HCG trigger + IUI + Progesterone x2, negative pregnancy tests Letrozole 5 mg + HCG trigger + IUI + Progesterone, positive pregnancy test ended in miscarriage due to chromosomal abnormality Letrozole 5 mg + HCG trigger + IUI + Progesterone, negative pregnancy test Letrozole 7.5 mg + HCG trigger + IUI + Progesterone, awaiting results

Because our insurance covers medicated IUI's, co pays for each visit were $15 dollars and all medications have been between $10 and $15 as well.

N/A

This is for Dr Minjarez during her time at Kaiser Oakland, not Spring Ferility. She was exactly what I needed after a demoralizing experience at Kaiser SF. She was able to help me regroup and try again for my third and fourth IUI rounds, and clearly explained why we should move to IVF due to my husband’s male factor issues.

Run, don’t walk! She’s great.

Again, this is for treatment under her care at Kaiser Oakland. I had two IUI rounds with her - the first we used Menopur in combination with Clomid at my request to see if that would increase my egg count for the IUI. It had the complete opposite effect and was unsuccessful. My fourth - and final - IUI round was with letrozole. There was a better response but the round was still unsuccessful. However, Dr Minjarez made sure I had a saline solution and discovered that I had a fibroid in the uterine fundus and required a hysteroscopy. My care with Kaiser ended after my hysteroscopy and I began looking for a new clinic (because Dr Minjarez left for Spring!)

I don’t remember the exact costs but Kaiser insurance through my employer covered 50 percent of fertility costs and treatments.

I was doing IUIs with Dr Hirata while diagnosed as “unexplained.” Beyond the usual battery of tests she offeeed no additional ways to look into the root cause nor did she encourage us to pursue more rigorous treatment. We got pregnant while seeing her (though another doctor was overseeing the cycle) so I think Kaiser was doing everything right but I felt a lack of compassion or sympathy and an impatience in my asking questions from Dr Hirata.

We did 1 IUI with clomid, 2 with leteozole and then did an optional last IUI with letrozole and menopur while we were waiting for IVF. The last cycle was successful.

4 IUIs with a 50% copay cost around $3000 (including one cycle of injectibles).

Dr. Hirata was both very professional and also compassionate. She helped us to understand the complex world of infertility and what to expect. She never made us feel dumb or discouraged and always treated us like real people, and not just like a number.

If you can, be prepared to be dissapointed. Not because of Dr. Hirata, but because you never know how the meds are gonna react, so go in hoping for the best, but ready for the worst.

Dr Hirata had us on Clomid injections and a trigger shot in the hopes of doing an IUI.

Thankfully my partner has good insurance. But without it our treatment would have been incredibly expensive, and the rising costs of health care don't help.

Dr. Hirata doesn't do that kind of treatment.