Dr. Irene Moy is a master of her craft who runs a top notch clinic and lab...supported me to add a prescription to reduce side effects...Protocols took patient experience into account and were well organized. Procedures were smooth with excellent after care guidance...was highly responsive to my needs by message, and we saw her at each visit.
Kaiser SF is a wonderful clinic. Excellent leadership, strong team, nice office, organized cycles and procedures, great communication...Alicia and Ruby are fantastic - responsive, informative, organized and warm. The team is incredibly organized during cycles...team did a fantastic job addressing each and every need I had during treatment
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Irene Moy is a master of her craft who runs a top notch clinic and lab.
We worked together on a plan to maximize outcomes and coverage. The plan involved banking and addressing known (polyps) and suspected (endo) issues. Any ideas or questions were promptly discussed and considered.
For instance, we inquired about a non-standard treatment option. Dr. Moy contacted colleagues at multiple fertility centers for thoughts. She then shared takeaways along with her view. Above and beyond.
During treatment, I had trouble on a medication. I brought this concern to Dr. Moy, who supported me to add a prescription to reduce side effects. This helped me persist through and continue the course of treatment.
Dr. Moy supported us to consult with a Kaiser endo surgeon. She was collaborative and open to suppression of endo without surgical diagnosis (ReceptivaDX not offered).
Protocols took patient experience into account and were well organized. Procedures were smooth with excellent after care guidance. I reached out a lot and consider myself a high touch patient. Dr. Moy was highly responsive to my needs by message, and we saw her at each visit.
Dr. Moy informed us of options and odds to make decisions. It felt easeful to collaborate and make decisions with Dr. Moy.
Dr. Moy's mastery and dedication to us and our success and clinic excellence and leadership served as a strong foundation for us to ride the ups and downs that naturally come with the IVF journey.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Lean into Dr. Moy's care and expertise and trust in the journey. Share clinical thoughts and questions by message. She responds as swiftly as possible. Call her team when you need support. They are amazing collaborators for her and her patients.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Moy runs a well-oiled practice where I held personal relationships with her and multiple members of the staff. The team is efficient, warm, tactful and available daily during and between cycles. Any question, need or concern was promptly addressed.
Describe the protocols Irene Moy used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente NorCal and their degree of success.
We began with a few goals: bank embryos, max coverage, and give best chances for baby #1.
First hurdle, our coverage excluded embryo banking. We worked with Dr. Moy to start with egg banking, which was covered. We reviewed data and planned to fertilize as a batch in our first IVF cycle. We also did this since we (correctly) anticipated multiple retrievals to max coverage.
Dr. Moy set doses using my workup. She nailed it. I continued same doses, antagonist protocol, for four retrievals. We tried priming (E2); I responded poorly, and we canceled. I did luteal start and CD2-4 starts without priming.
After banking eggs, we began IVF to create embryos. Our frozen eggs led to a few euploid embryos, at comparable fertilization and blast rates. We decided to use a final egg freeze cycle for preservation before suppression for endo.
The plan for known polyps was to remove after complete with all retrievals before transfer. Then plan for suspected endo was to suppress with Lupron Depot for two months before moving into a fully medicated FET.
FET prep included estrace, estrogen patches, PIO and progesterone suppositories. The first transfer was a success, with our highest grade, 5AA, day 5 euploid from our frozen egg batch. Following first two betas, we graduated from the clinic to OB intake and care for an early pregnancy.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kaiser Permanente NorCal. (Assigned nurse: Alicia Skillicorn, Ruby Urrutia & team)
I worked with Alicia Skillicorn and Ruby Urrutia frequently, along with additional team members. Alicia and Ruby are fantastic - responsive, informative, organized and warm. The team is incredibly organized during cycles. Cycle and procedure instructions are shared by phone and message. Protocol calendars are comprehensive and easy to follow. Procedures were also organized and we felt very taken care of. I was a high-touch patient - the team did a fantastic job addressing each and every need I had during treatment. Follow up questions are addressed promptly. Dr. Moy and her team work seamlessly together through all stages of treatment.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Kaiser SF is a wonderful clinic. Excellent leadership, strong team, nice office, organized cycles and procedures, great communication and more.
We recommend asking about wait times and how far out cycles are booking. Start dates may be limited. We also recommend keeping an ear out for plans to grow the RE team, while Dr. Moy is the sole RE in SF.
It was easy to work with Kaiser's partners for PGT-A, Igenomix, and pharmacy, Alto. Kaiser is contracted with Reprotech for LT storage (NV). We decided to hire our own local storage provider.
Trust Dr. Moy's recommendations and protocols. We appreciate her evidence-based approach, how she keeps it simple, and stays focused on what matters.
It may be helpful to know that ReceptivaDX is not offered. Endo can be assessed by surgeon Dr. Jaime Ocampo, and Dr. Moy will prescribe Lupron Depot for medical suppression. She does not recommend ERA before first transfer or immune type protocols due to lack of evidence.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
We're grateful to have fertility coverage that applies to our specific deductibles, OOP max and co-pays under a specific employer plan. For this reason, we will exclude providing actuals. The IVF financial team was a wonderful resource for cost estimates and coverage explainations.
For our specific plan, we had three egg freeze cycles covered once deductible was met with fertility medications at 20% co-pay.
We had up to three IVF cycles covered once deductible was met with fertility meds at 20% co-pay, with limits. If retrieval #1 did not result in euploids, a transfer associated with that cycle would be lost, and we'd move to IVF #2. If retrieval #1 results in 1-2 euploids, there is an exception approval process to request forgoing transfer #1 to move to IVF #2 into another retrieval. This may, or may not, be approved. If retrieval #1 results in 3 or more euploids, a transfer is required and another retrieval will not be granted (until/unless down to 1-2 euploids).
Embryo banking was not covered by our plan. An exception was not made to bank ahead of treating known issues (polyps, endo) that would have benefitted from a banking strategy. As a work around, we did egg freeze rounds and batch fertilized them during our first IVF cycle. This both reduced costs for us and helped us get closer to our family building goals.
Describe Irene Moy's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
We did a single embryo transfer with a PGT-A tested embryo. We trusted our doctor's guidance on the recommended path here due to PGT, age and personal factors.
Dr. Moy showed compassion and empathy for us during treatment...was a great doctor who explained things clearly and showed care for us during the process. She adjusted treatment as necessary and gave us the information we needed to make key decisions. She is very responsive via email, but getting time in person is a bit challenging with the number of patients she has...Make sure to be informed, ready with questions & ready to advocate. Use your time with her wisely.
The nursing staff [at Kaiser Permanente NorCal] was great. All my appointments started on time, they were caring & communicative...but it is very hard to get anyone live on the phone when you call the clinic. You have to leave a voicemail & wait for them to return your call. If you miss that call, you'll have to leave another voicemail for a call back...Without insurance Letrozole/Clomid, Ovidrel trigger shot, + IUI was about $800 per cycle...
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Moy was a great doctor who explained things clearly and showed care for us during the process. She adjusted treatment as necessary and gave us the information we needed to make key decisions. She is very responsive via email, but getting time in person is a bit challenging with the number of patients she has at Kaiser.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Make sure to be informed, ready with questions & ready to advocate. Use your time with her wisely.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Moy showed compassion and empathy for us during treatment.
Describe the protocols Irene Moy used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente NorCal and their degree of success.
Letrozole, Ovidrel trigger shot + timed intercourse & IUI for 3 cycles. Letrozole is usually better for patients with PCOS. I grew ~2 mature follicles during those cycles. Then, we switched to Clomid, Ovidrel trigger shot + timed intercourse & IUI for the 4th cycle where I grew 3-4 mature follicles.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
The nursing staff was great. All my appointments started on time, they were caring & communicative. Not sure if this should fall under "nurses" but it is very hard to get anyone live on the phone when you call the clinic. You have to leave a voicemail & wait for them to return your call. If you miss that call, you'll have to leave another voicemail for a call back.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Kaiser's SART results are excellent, some of the best in the area. A downside is that there is a very very long wait for meetings with the doctor and for scheduling treatments. IUI treatments were easy to schedule, but it sounds like IVF process from consult to transfer can be very, very long.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Without insurance Letrozole/Clomid, Ovidrel trigger shot, + IUI was about $800 per cycle. My insurance covered 1/2 to bring my total to ~$400/cycle.
[Dr. Irene Moy] is very smart and direct. She appeared to be in a rush and mentioned the clinic was short on staff. I felt that she was honest and direct but that in the short amount of time we spent together I had to really dig to get the level of information that I believed I deserved as a patient. Overall she is nice and smart and trustworthy, the issues seem to be be more linked to the time constraints she had when seeing patients...
The Kaiser SF clinic is ok, if I had another feasible option I would consider it though. It feels that overall there is not enough time to get questions answered and I always feel rushed by the providers and medical staff...The nurses are respectful and kind but there have been a few instances when I have communicated with them and have not received a call back or the response I needed. The nurses are all very busy and sometimes flustered when I speak to them, they also appear to be short staffed and that stress is definitely felt by the patient.
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Moy is very smart and direct. She appeared to be in a rush and mentioned the clinic was short on staff. I felt that she was honest and direct but that in the short amount of time we spent together I had to really dig to get the level of information that I believed I deserved as a patient. Overall she is nice and smart and trustworthy, the issues seem to be be more linked to the time constraints she had when seeing patients.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Be persistent, come prepared with your list of questions and ask her to explain when something isn't clear.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Moy was very direct and it was clear she was busy and didn't have much time to talk when we met. Although she was kind and polite our time together felt very rushed. Sh did spend more time talking when I asked her to answer some additional questions.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
The nurses are respectful and kind but there have been a few instances when I have communicated with them and have not received a call back or the response I needed. The nurses are all very busy and sometimes flustered when I speak to them, they also appear to be short staffed and that stress is definitely felt by the patient.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
The Kaiser SF clinic is ok, if I had another feasible option I would consider it though. It feels that overall there is not enough time to get questions answered and I always feel rushed by the providers and medical staff.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
It cost with insurance somewhere around $130 for an ultrasound, $100 for the trigger shot and about $200 for the IUI
What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
In my experience there have been a few instances where I never received a call back during a tight timeline for scheduling IUI's and ultrasounds. It is rare when I can catch the staff on the phone and they are sometimes distracted when I do get a hold of them to schedule appointments. It is also very difficult to get an appointment these days since they lost one of their doctors.
Fully understanding how busy Dr. Moy must be worth numerous patients, I still wish I could have been told in person, rather than over the phone, that I have a uterine malformity that makes everything about getting and staying pregnant so much harder. ... For clarity, I have a Unicornuate Uterus with a communicating Rudimentary Horn. To reduce risk, I had surgery to remove the Fallopian tube that was attached to the Horn, and had the Horn sealed closed. Our treatment plan was Letrozole, timed intercourse, a trigger shot, and IUI. ...
Be prepared to interact with nurses [at Kaiser] more than your RE. ... Be prepared to see a large number of heavily pregnant women in the waiting room. It can be upsetting at times. Aim for appointments first thing in the morning to ensure you are in and out on time. As the day goes on, they tend to fall behind schedule. .... The two nurses I have interacted with the most are Tulay and Peters. Both nurses have presided over transvaginal ultrasounds. They are always kind and compassionate.
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Fully understanding how busy Dr. Moy must be worth numerous patients, I still wish I could have been told in person, rather than over the phone, that I have a uterine malformity that makes everything about getting and staying pregnant so much harder. My email and phone interactions with her have shown her ability to be compassionate and understanding.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Be prepared to interact with nurses more than your RE.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
While I have only met with Dr. Moy once for the initial consultation, she has always been quick to respond to emails and very kind on the phone.
Describe the protocols Irene Moy used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente NorCal and their degree of success.
For clarity, I have a Unicornuate Uterus with a communicating Rudimentary Horn. To reduce risk, I had surgery to remove the Fallopian tube that was attached to the Horn, and had the Horn sealed closed. Our treatment plan was Letrozole, timed intercourse, a trigger shot, and IUI.
Cycle one we started with Letrozole 5 mg a day for CD 3-7. I went in for an ultrasound on CD 12. The medicine worked but on the ovary without a fallopian tube.
Cycle 2, we did Letrozole 5mg CD 3-7. At the CD 12 ultrasound, my ovaries and uterine lining showed zero reaction. Blood work showed I had yet to ovulate. So we intiated a second course for this cycle. CD 9-13 I took 7.5mg Letrozole. An ultrasound on CD 15 again showed no response.
Cycle 3 and 4, my husband and I decided to take a break for the sake of mental well being.
Cycle 5, we did 10 mg Letrozole CD 3-7. An ultrasound on CD 12 showed some activity, but measurements were still less than ideal. We did a second ultrasound on CD 15 to recheck measurements. Uterine lining looked perfect, but the only true growth in follicles again happened on the wrong side.
Dr. Moy is urging us to go with IVF as it is the safest option. Since we can't seem to get past the ultrasound to the trigger shot and IUI phase of our treatment plan, she feels this is the best option. Since IVF is not achievable financially, she has agreed to switch to Clomid. However, it is Dr. Moy's belief that we will see similar results.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
The two nurses I have interacted with the most are Tulay and Peters. Both nurses have presided over transvaginal ultrasounds. They are always kind and compassionate.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Be prepared to see a large number of heavily pregnant women in the waiting room. It can be upsetting at times. Aim for appointments first thing in the morning to ensure you are in and out on time. As the day goes on, they tend to fall behind schedule.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
My insurance covered exactly zero of treatment. Everything was out of pocket.
Consultation- $560
Phone appointments- $40
MRI- $811
HSG- $600
Laparoscopic removal of fallopian tube- $3,400
Letrozole- $13 per round
Ultrasound- $340 each
Dr. Moy is very friendly, has thr ability to explain things to you without bias, and is very knowledgeable about the processes of your diagnoses. She's an amazing provider and with her schedule being so busy, I had to see other providers for follow-up appointments. ... I did 3 cycles of letrozole, increasing dosages as one cycle with not result to a pregnancy. ... She was very understanding our situation and goals.
Clinic work flow was always very organized, staff were friendly, and access to seeing a provider was never an issue. The ability to communicate with provider via the Kaiser's [Permanente] health online was a major plus! ... There was always a consistency with the nurses I encountered. Always cheerful, knowledgeable and always made me comfortable during each provider's visit.
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Moy is very friendly, has thr ability to explain things to you without bias, and is very knowledgeable about the processes of your diagnoses.
She's an amazing provider and with her schedule being so busy, I had to see other providers for follow-up appointments. Sometimes I would prefer a continuum of care with one provider.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Come prepared with questions and or concerns to your appointments.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
She was very friendly, approachable, and answered to my messages in a timely manner. She was very understanding our situation and goals.
Describe the protocols Irene Moy used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente NorCal and their degree of success.
I did 3 cycles of letrozole, increasing dosages as one cycle with not result to a pregnancy. I've had success with maturing multiple follicles then self-injected the prescribed Gonadotropin to assist in releasing the follicle. Unfortunately, with the three cycles, it didn't result in a fertilization and pregnancy. Now, I'm recommended we go through IVF.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
There was always a consistency with the nurses I encountered. Always cheerful, knowledgeable and always made me comfortable during each provider's visit.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Clinic work flow was always very organized, staff were friendly, and access to seeing a provider was never an issue. The ability to communicate with provider via the Kaiser's health online was a major plus! It decreases unnecessary calls dn increases relationship trusts with the personal one--on-one conversations via messages.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
I am fortunate that my insurance covered half of my IUI cycles so each visit would cost me $120; Letrozole pills were about $6.00 per cycle; about $100 for the Gonadotropin injection.
Dr. Moy always tried to remember details about us and made conversation during the routine appointments. She has a great sense of humor and attitude and I really felt that she was rooting for us. During some more difficult news, she called us or made time for a phone call and answered all of our questions...When issues arose, she reached out to the labs to understand what happened on our behalf and I do feel she went to bat for us as best she could. She was always good humored, patient, and understanding.
The clinic, being Kaiser, has its limitations including the level of patient education you receive, the inflexibility around being on the pill in preparation for the scheduled cycles, and the feeling that I was being "shuffled through." I once received an email from a nurse addressing me by someone else's name..... Our doctor and the head embryologist explained what happened very thoroughly and patiently. We were offered a sympathetic "these things happen" but they did not claim responsibility nor did they offer a free cycle.
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
I really love Dr Moy. We got to know each other quite well over three retrievals and the monitoring appts and phone calls and emails that surround it. She was our point person during all of it and was readily available for our questions. I really felt like she was rooting for us and we had many phone calls to hear news, discuss next steps, or answer questions. When issues arose, she reached out to the labs to understand what happened on our behalf and I do feel she went to bat for us as best she could. She was always good humored, patient, and understanding. There were times when I would have liked more information about the protocols and medications, and how/why she decided on the changes that she did. Overall though, I had a wonderful experience with Dr Moy. It's the limitation of Kaiser that were ultimately disappointing.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
If you have questions during an appointment, ask them quickly. She will make time to answer your questions but she does seem to be in a rush. She's matter of fact and to the point which we appreciated.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Moy always tried to remember details about us and made conversation during the routine appointments. She has a great sense of humor and attitude and I really felt that she was rooting for us. During some more difficult news, she called us or made time for a phone call and answered all of our questions. Even when she had a cold.
Describe the protocols Irene Moy used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente NorCal and their degree of success.
All three retrieval protocols included Follistim, Menopur, and Ganirelix. The second two added Omnitrope and included a dual trigger which appeared to help the number and maturity of eggs retrieved. As with all Kaiser protocols, I was on the pill for a good portion of time prior to and after stimulation and retrievals.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Nursing staff were good. It would have been nice to have a designated nurse/coordinator throughout the process but instead it was whoever called back. That worked fine. They were friendly, knowledgeable, and helped answer my questions. The nurses during the actual retrieval were also friendly, some seemed new. Getting an IV needle in was difficult during all three retrievals.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
The clinic, being Kaiser, has its limitations including the level of patient education you receive, the inflexibility around being on the pill in preparation for the scheduled cycles, and the feeling that I was being "shuffled through." I once received an email from a nurse addressing me by someone else's name. The substance of the email was appropriate to me but it was very much a "copy paste" scenario. I could deal with all of this though until we encountered some issues with the embryology lab that have me looking into other clinics. In short, we lost one high quality PGS normal embryo because, as we were told, there was a very rare instance when the embryologist was unable to remove all of the oil from the embryo before freezing, rendering it unlikely to thaw successfully. Our doctor and the head embryologist explained what happened very thoroughly and patiently. We were offered a sympathetic "these things happen" but they did not claim responsibility nor did they offer a free cycle. I did another retrieval and our next PGS normal embryo had to be thawed, re-biopsied, and refrozen because the first biopsy came back as "No DNA present." I don't know where the breakdown occurred this second time (whether at Kaiser or the genetic testing lab) but it's enough of a question mark that I have trouble trusting the Kaiser lab. We will likely have further conversations with Kaiser.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Retreival: $9,305; ICSI: $1,900; Biopsy for PGS:$3,00; FET: $2,365 (unused credit); ~$8k in meds for each round
Describe Irene Moy's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
While we never got to the transfer stage, Dr Moy recommended transferring only one PGS tested normal embryo or more than one only if they hadn't been tested bc of risks of carrying multiples.
What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Lost or damaged samples
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Although Dr. Moy is not the primary physician in the clinic for IUIs, she has been my point person thus far. Dr. Moy specializes in IVF and often works in both the SF and Fremont clinic. Other doctors and NPs in the office performed my procedures, but she always responded to my questions immediately and with compassion...Dr. Moy doesn't sugar coat treatment. She does deliver it with a sense of humor.
There are also sometimes long waits to be seen [at Kaiser]. For example, IUIs are scheduled at 10am and the last two times, I haven't been seen until 11. All women are prepped at the same time and then have to wait until their turn in the room...[The nurse] She is amazing. She is super comforting, explains everything, and keeps it real. She is great at understanding my individual needs for paperwork, protocol directions, and next steps.
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Although Dr. Moy is not the primary physician in the clinic for IUIs, she has been my point person thus far. Dr. Moy specializes in IVF and often works in both the SF and Fremont clinic. Other doctors and NPs in the office performed my procedures, but she always responded to my questions immediately and with compassion. For example, I was nervous prior to a sedated HSG (due to a terrible first HSG) and she went above and beyond to reach out to my husband and me to review the whole procedure keeping my concerns in mind. Of course, everything went beautifully after her encouragement. She goes above and beyond.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Moy doesn't sugar coat treatment. She does deliver it with a sense of humor. I have since met other patients who found that uncomfortable, but personally, I appreciate it. Also, always feel comfortable reaching out to her with anything. She's awesome!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
She always addresses my questions, helps address my feelings throughout the process, and makes jokes. She has a great sense of humor.
Describe the protocols Irene Moy used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente NorCal and their degree of success.
We were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. I have completed 3 full rounds of Letrozole (7.5mg) with IUI. We have been unsuccessful thus far, but knew our statistics going in. We are going into injectible IUIs this cycle.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kaiser Permanente NorCal. (Assigned nurse: Christianne Peters)
She is amazing. She is super comforting, explains everything, and keeps it real. She is great at understanding my individual needs for paperwork, protocol directions, and next steps. She's also very great at her response time to emails when Dr. Moy is out.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
It's Kaiser. With this comes a lack of education and information, but it's great for all procedures and medications. Just make sure to do your research or ask more questions. Also, there are also sometimes long waits to be seen. For example, IUIs are scheduled at 10am and the last two times, I haven't been seen until 11. All women are prepped at the same time and then have to wait until their turn in the room.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
My insurance covers all but $15 copay on most treatments. Because it's Kaiser, I never see a bill except for the copay. Some of my prescriptions are even less! Our quote for IVF is $20,000 because my insurance pays none of it.
What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
I had a previous HSG go terribly. The doctor made a mistake that caused extreme pain, bleeding, and inaccurate results. This caused me to have to go through it again. This would not be a direct issue with the clinic as it's required before you are accepted to the clinic.
Dr. Moy was clearly very knowledgeable about fertility issues but I felt very disconnected from her during the whole process. I saw her fairly regularly over the course of about eight months but didn't feel like I got much guidance from her on what was working, what wasn't, what we should try next, etc...You will need to be very proactive, and it will be up to you to push for treatments, ask questions, etc.
Overall, I felt I got no guidance from the Kaiser fertility team regarding my treatment. It was all left up to me to ask, "What's do you think about what's happening, should we keep trying this next month or should we try another approach, etc." If I didn't ask these questions, no one followed up with me and I would miss a cycle...I had far more contact with the nursing staff than with Dr. Moy. Most of the nurses were compassionate and kind and I enjoyed my interactions with them.
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Moy was clearly very knowledgeable about fertility issues but I felt very disconnected from her during the whole process. I saw her fairly regularly over the course of about eight months but didn't feel like I got much guidance from her on what was working, what wasn't, what we should try next, etc.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
You will need to be very proactive, and it will be up to you to push for treatments, ask questions, etc.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
I only met with Dr. Moy in person a few times while I was her patient. Once was the meeting to discuss our initial diagnosis and once was when she happened to be on one weekend when I had an IUI. We also spoke on the phone a couple of times, though I felt she did most of the talking and could have listened better.
Describe the protocols Irene Moy used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente NorCal and their degree of success.
Since IVF is so expensive, my goal was to start with the least invasive (and least expensive) options first, and then work our way up to IVF only if necessary.
We first tried letrozole to try to boost my egg production, coupled with both timed intercourse and IUI . I had mixed responsiveness to the medication, producing anywhere from one or two eggs up to six at the most.
We tried two (or three, I can't remember) cycles with injectable medications to boost egg production, coupled with IUI. I had limited responsiveness to the injectables.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
I had far more contact with the nursing staff than with Dr. Moy. Most of the nurses were compassionate and kind and I enjoyed my interactions with them.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
My biggest beef was with Kaiser itself. Here's a list of the things I didn't like or felt could be improved:
-It's a little thing, but the Kaiser clinic is called the Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology department. I don't need the reminder that I was having infertility issues; the clinic I switched to (at a different hospital) was called the Center for Reproductive Health. It's a little thing, but really made a difference to me.
-For some reason, Kaiser has regular OB patients check-in at the same desk where the fertility patients check in and wait for their appointments. I wasn't overly bothered by this, but it did strike me as very insensitive to have visibly pregnant women standing in line and checking in for appointments in front of women (and men) struggling with fertility issues.
-It drove me crazy that almost every single appointment I had scheduled I was seen late. Sometimes 10 minutes, sometimes as long as a half hour. I showed up for an IUI appointment one Saturday a half hour ahead of time because I had been running other errands in the neighborhood, and wasn't seen until nearly an hour after I'd been told my appointment was. I found out later that the timing of when you are seen for an IUI has to do with when the sample from the man was taken or dropped off, but no one ever explained that to me when I had my appointments and all the waiting around with no explanation made a stressful situation worse.
-Overall, I felt I got no guidance from the Kaiser fertility team regarding my treatment. It was all left up to me to ask, "What's do you think about what's happening, should we keep trying this next month or should we try another approach, etc." If I didn't ask these questions, no one followed up with me and I would miss a cycle.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
I was lucky in that I had insurance that covered up to 50% of my costs (office visits and medications) for procedures up to (but not including) IVF. It was still very expensive.
As I recall, with my 50% coverage, office visits were between $50 and $150 for ultrasounds and IUI, and medication was anywhere from about $20 for Letrozole up to the hundreds of dollars for injectable medications.
[Dr. Irene Moy is] Very knowledgeable and responsive. Great doctor! Never has she not known what should we try next. She always has ideas how to modify my treatment. Despite my age I have a very high hopes for success with my doc...Doctor is always super busy...Most of the time due to limited doc’s availability, nurses were the ones to deliver me all the details and news
Only 1 doc available [at Kaiser Permanente NorCal]. Very small clinic. Wait time to book for the procedure is a big minus. Amazing and very professional doc and very helpful and knowledgeable staff. I am very happy only if it wasn’t for the wait time in between my cycles...Around 19.5k per cycle plus 5-8k meds, and PGTA separately depending how many embryos tested (around $270 each plus shipping)...Most of the time due to limited doc’s availability, nurses were the ones to deliver me all the details and news. They seem very knowledgeable and helpful
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Very knowledgeable and responsive. Great doctor! Never has she not known what should we try next. She always has ideas how to modify my treatment. Despite my age I have a very high hopes for success with my doc!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Don’t wait till you are 41 like I did. And contact the clinic way ahead of time. As clinic is very small and only one doctor available at the moment (Dr. Moy) I had to wait 4 months total between my treatments despite being a client for over a year now. In my case being already 42 that is very stressful to not be able to proceed with the treatment, but have to wait for months, while I’m just getting older. Unfortunately they get booked out very fast.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Doctor is always super busy.
Describe the protocols Irene Moy used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente NorCal and their degree of success.
Gonal F, Menopur, Omnitrop, ganerelix, lupron trigger and Pregnil or Novaril. Omnitrop, Melatonin, Coq10 helped me with my eggs quality.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Most of the time due to limited doc’s availability, nurses were the ones to deliver me all the details and news. They seem very knowledgeable and helpful. I really appreciate their communication and answer all my questions with me.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Only 1 doc available. Very small clinic. Wait time to book for the procedure is a big minus. Amazing and very professional doc and very helpful and knowledgeable staff. I am very happy only if it wasn’t for the wait time in between my cycles.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Around 19.5k per cycle plus 5-8k meds, and PGTA separately depending how many embryos tested (around $270 each plus shipping)
Dr. Moy was not looking at my infertility through a cancer lense...I was on a rushed timeline to finish before chemotherapy, and was excited at the chance to freeze some eggs before starting. Dr. Moy did not explain to me my low follicle count from the begin, and did not give any explanation as to why it could be occurring. I left each appointment feeling overwhelmed and extremely unsupported. She made it seem as though there were no other options but to cancel my retrieval...
It was difficult to get ahold of anyone at the clinic [Kaiser Permanente NorCal] to get questions answered. The clinic itself is new and very clean, but not very warm. The staff did not take into account that I was a cancer patient. A little kindness would have gone a long way...The nurses were difficult to get ahold of. If I had a question it always went straight to voicemail. This was not helpful during a very stressful time...
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
I had to undergo egg freezing prior to my cancer treatment for breast cancer. I was on a rushed timeline to finish before chemotherapy, and was excited at the chance to freeze some eggs before starting. Dr. Moy did not explain to me my low follicle count from the begin, and did not give any explanation as to why it could be occurring. I left each appointment feeling overwhelmed and extremely unsupported. She made it seem as though there were no other options but to cancel my retrieval. I am currently working with a different doctor through Kaiser, and with the help of supplements he suggested, a different medication, and acupuncture, I have a higher follicle count and will be able to go through with an egg retrieval. Dr. Moy did not show much sympathy during a very scary and hopeless time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
I would find care elsewhere if you are a cancer patient. You need a doctor who will try different things and look at your care through the lense of a cancer patient.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Moy was not looking at my infertility through a cancer lense.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
The nurses were difficult to get ahold of. If I had a question it always went straight to voicemail. This was not helpful during a very stressful time.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
It was difficult to get ahold of anyone at the clinic to get questions answered. The clinic itself is new and very clean, but not very warm. The staff did not take into account that I was a cancer patient. A little kindness would have gone a long way.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Dr Moy seemed sympathetic to some of the emotional pain of infertility and patiently answered all of our questions. Kaiser as a system is very procedure based, and progress can be slow if the system doesn't really work for you. Kaiser doctors generally seem to rely heavily on protocol, and less on their own observations and decision making...Still early in treatment, but recommended 3 IUI and then an IVF and then reevaluate.
Kaiser is highly regimented. It's very efficient and relies on protocol, which works most of the time. But it works less well in terms of listening to patients and responding to them....Pricing is clear and information is easy to find...Kaiser as a system is very procedure based, and progress can be slow if the system doesn't really work for you. Kaiser doctors generally seem to rely heavily on protocol, and less on their own observations and decision making.
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
We are still early stage in infertility, so we haven't actually undergone any treatment. Dr. Moy was efficient in treatment and took time to explain things. I already wrote a general impression in response to another answer.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr Moy is only as good as the kaiser system.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr Moy seemed sympathetic to some of the emotional pain of infertility and patiently answered all of our questions. However, Kaiser as a system is very procedure based, and progress can be slow if the system doesn't really work for you. Kaiser doctors generally seem to rely heavily on protocol, and less on their own observations and decision making.
Describe the protocols Irene Moy used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente NorCal and their degree of success.
Still early in treatment, but recommended 3 IUI and then an IVF and then reevaluate.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Kaiser is highly regimented. It's very efficient and relies on protocol, which works most of the time. But it works less well in terms of listening to patients and responding to them.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
I have an info sheet somewhere, but don't remember offhand. Pricing is clear and information is easy to find.
She is knowledgeable, has great bedside manner, and is honest without being cold... Dr. Moy has a lot of experience and will work with results/information obtained from the first cycle to make changes to subsequent cycles.
I apparently ran out of lab orders and so when I went to the lab one Saturday AM, I couldn't get my labs drawn before my ultrasound. It took about 30 mins to call the answering service so that they could take down ALL of my information and then have the on call nurse call me back so that she could do research on why I didn't have labs orders.
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
My husband and I loved Dr. Moy. We were very sad when after I got pregnant, she had to transfer my care to a general OBGYN. She is knowledgeable, has great bedside manner, and is honest without being cold. She made me feel very comfortable and had a lot of energy. She is easy to relate to. I didn't feel like I had to make small talk with her; the conversations came easily and that was important because you want to be as relaxed as you can during such a stressful time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Don't get discouraged and change doctors/facility if the first cycle isn't successful. Dr. Moy has a lot of experience and will work with results/information obtained from the first cycle to make changes to subsequent cycles.
What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Failed to order appropriate test
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Because I would have frequent labs done, the care team usually puts in multiple orders so that they don't have to do it every single time. I apparently ran out of lab orders and so when I went to the lab one Saturday AM, I couldn't get my labs drawn before my ultrasound. It took about 30 mins to call the answering service so that they could take down ALL of my information and then have the on call nurse call me back so that she could do research on why I didn't have labs orders. The problem was fixed and they finally put in lab orders for me.
Direct and to the point, she [Dr. Irene Moy] gets the job done fairly efficiently. She was helpful in assisting us with our decision to do IVF instead of more IUIs. She was able to explain the evidence and also help us apply it to our situation.... Direct and to the point. Explained things well.... Didn't have too many interactions with the nurses other than the NP that did the actual IUI, who seemed nice enough....
Strengths - it's Kaiser, so if you're there, you probably have some kind of insurance coverage, which is always a good thing with infertility! Weaknesses - super expensive meds at the Kaiser pharmacy, I wish I had had some advanced notice so I could have shopped around earlier, but I needed the trigger that day, so no time to shop around or wait for meds to ship!
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Direct and to the point, she gets the job done fairly efficiently. She was helpful in assisting us with our decision to do IVF instead of more IUIs. She was able to explain the evidence and also help us apply it to our situation.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
No complaints.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Direct and to the point. Explained things well.
Describe the protocols Irene Moy used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente NorCal and their degree of success.
IUI with letrozole.
Better side effect profile than clomid.
Lower risk of multiples compared to injectables.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Didn't have too many interactions with the nurses other than the NP that did the actual IUI, who seemed nice enough.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Strengths - it's Kaiser, so if you're there, you probably have some kind of insurance coverage, which is always a good thing with infertility!
Weaknesses - super expensive meds at the Kaiser pharmacy, I wish I had had some advanced notice so I could have shopped around earlier, but I needed the trigger that day, so no time to shop around or wait for meds to ship!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Don't remember, but we had 50% insurance coverage and I think it came out to $200-$300 each IUI?
Describe Irene Moy's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
She [Dr. Moy] treated us with care and kindness, but was also forthright about percentages and potential issues. Dr. Moy kept a positive attitude, while also being very clear.
One of our eggs did get lost in the fertilization process [at Kaiser]. Which sounds dramatic, but with tiny tiny cells seems bound to happen sometimes. It did not affect the procedure - we were still able to transfer the planned number of embryos.
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Moy kept a positive attitude, while also being very clear. I felt taken care of and like the process was in good hands, even though I wasn't in charge of every aspect of it.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
She is excellent at returning emails, so don't be afraid to ask questions or follow up on a test you thought was scheduled. Once a test wasn't at the lab, and she saw my email and put in the order again before I was done at the pharmacy.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr Moy was always on top of the details of our case. She treated us with care and kindness, but was also forthright about percentages and potential issues.
What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Failed to order appropriate test
Lost or damaged samples
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
One of our eggs did get lost in the fertilization process. Which sounds dramatic, but with tiny tiny cells seems bound to happen sometimes. It did not affect the procedure - we were still able to transfer the planned number of embryos.
There was also one time when a lab test wasn't properly ordered, but the clinic was able to respond promptly and I didn't have to make a second trip.
Dr Irene Moy was nice the few times I visited her at her office, but always seemed to be rushing which was not pleasant. I felt like I had no time and she couldn’t waster hers, so I was always a bit stressed I forgot questions to ask as my time slot was timed and limited...I had some examination but clearly not made properly and not enough to diagnose the real issue which was adenomyosis.
Nurses [of Kaiser Permanente NorCal] were super nice and warm...Very good, nothing to complain about clinic. I complain about the doctor approach and that she didn’t fought for us to reimburse us from her fail diagnosis which cost me 4 ivf for nothing. It is unfair that she didn’t understand... I felt like I had no time and she couldn’t waster hers, so I was always a bit stressed I forgot questions to ask as my time slot was timed and limited. Always felt time pressure.
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Well we paid a lot of money for 4 ivf with Dr Moy that were all unsuccessful. The reason why was not found by Dr Moy. Why? Lack of experience or lack of proper diagnostic... I only rely on facts and we tried a 5th Ivf with another doctor which was successful because that other doctor found after making examination that I suffered adenomyosis (which affects my uterus lining preventing embryo’s implantation). So I was treated for 3 months before starting a cycle of ivf and I became pregnant (my son is 1 year old now). So Dr Moy kept making ivf and billing us, and failed to diagnose the adenomyosis. We waisted 4 cycles of good embryos, 2 years of our time, lots of emotion (after the 4th failure she suggested I should use a surrogate) and a lot of money. We asked Kaiser to refund us , they denied our request, saying the doctor has no results obligation but she had obligation of performing her job no? How come another experienced doctor found it right away and she didn’t after 4 failed ivf transfers? Very unprofessional and unfair we didn’t get a refund, even partially as we spent $30k.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Try and see then don’t over try, change doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr Irene Moy was nice the few times I visited her at her office, but always seemed to be rushing which was not pleasant. I felt like I had no time and she couldn’t waster hers, so I was always a bit stressed I forgot questions to ask as my time slot was timed and limited. Always felt time pressure.
Describe the protocols Irene Moy used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente NorCal and their degree of success.
The strategy was simple, I was young and had plenty of eggs, my husband was getting sperm retrieval, and we would do icsi and eggs retrieval then embryo transfer. I had some examination but clearly not made properly and not enough to diagnose the real issue which was adenomyosis. She kept transfering embryos which had no chance to implant since my lining was damaged by adenomyosis. A simple 3 month treatment would help and repair my lining for a transfer.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Nurses were super nice and warm.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Very good, nothing to complain about clinic. I complain about the doctor approach and that she didn’t fought for us to reimburse us from her fail diagnosis which cost me 4 ivf for nothing. It is unfair that she didn’t understand. We trusted her experience and skills. Then telling me I should now use a surrogate after my 4th failed ivf broke my heart.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
I appreciate Dr. Moy’s responsiveness via email. She’s a no-nonsense kind of doctor and states things as they are. It’s can be a little intimidating at first, but I appreciate the honesty...Using the mostly same protocol from a previous Kaiser doctor 2 years ago. She just upped the dosages. 200 Gonal F, and 150 Menopur for now...She’s very responsive via email/Kaiser app
Overall I think it [Kaiser Permanente NorCal] works great. You get in touch with your doctor via the Kaiser messaging app. You have to leave voicemails when you call the clinic and then a nurse will call you back...Great to work with! Call me back shortly after I leave voicemails...Using the mostly same protocol from a previous Kaiser doctor 2 years ago. 200 Gonal F, and 150 Menopur for now.
How was your experience with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
She’s a no-nonsense kinda of doctor and gives you the facts as they are, which can be intimidating for some but I also appreciate the honesty and forwardness. She’s very responsive via email/Kaiser app.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Ask questions!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
I appreciate Dr. Moy’s responsiveness via email. She’s a no-nonsense kind of doctor and states things as they are. It’s can be a little intimidating at first, but I appreciate the honesty.
Describe the protocols Irene Moy used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente NorCal and their degree of success.
Using the mostly same protocol from a previous Kaiser doctor 2 years ago. She just upped the dosages. 200 Gonal F, and 150 Menopur for now. Still in process.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Great to work with! Call me back shortly after I leave voicemails.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Overall I think it works great. You get in touch with your doctor via the Kaiser messaging app. You have to leave voicemails when you call the clinic and then a nurse will call you back. I imagine this is a way to filter calls by priority.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Moy at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.