ASB's New Ad - IVF
Much has come up since the demise of Goldstein with ASB, but so much fuss has come up with the advent (no pun intended) of their new commercial offering financial assistance to couples or people wanting IVF treatments.
For one they are bloody expensive. Every one knows that. But more than the financial cost there is an emotional toll on those intimately involved. Not only the fact that you have to go through the invasive process (of course depending on the process you go through) but the fact that you have to go through an acceptance that you cannot do this on your own.
In some ways I commend ASB for putting their services out there and offering a package that allows couples to come forward and ask for help. Its not like you have a five figure sum of cash sitting in your back pocket just to try this every day. To give you an idea, one series of drugs my wife had to take over the period of lead up days we did some sums, we had over $5000 of injections and needles and other items in our possession before we had any procedures done. We were fortunate enough to have two procedures publicly funded therefore the financial cost was minimal to us, outside of some supplements and other items that are known to help fertility and related issues.
But in other ways I have to be weary of this as well. Like any loan, you have taken it out, once you have spent the money there is an obligation to pay it back. Regardless of the outcome, positive or negative you have a hefty loan to pay back with interest. If it is positive, you have the loan to pay back and another mouth to feed. If its not successful, you have a double negative, no baby, + a loan + interest and a constant reminder of the failure.
IVF is no guarantee of success. While it is a blessing to have the science available to achieve this goal it is not 100% successful. In this way I think ASB is trying to foster an avenue, that while commendable is still something that I think is not the place of commercial banks in the public domain, but more someone who is up with personal banking and knows their clients.
You can spend $15,000 on one cycle and not be successful, and still have $15,000 + interest to pay. That's a big reminder of something that might have been. It is hard enough going through the emotional process let alone just going through the process.
I wouldn't say people shouldn't take ASB's offer up. But bearing in mind the implications that come with this process and this loan...and I wish them well.
For one they are bloody expensive. Every one knows that. But more than the financial cost there is an emotional toll on those intimately involved. Not only the fact that you have to go through the invasive process (of course depending on the process you go through) but the fact that you have to go through an acceptance that you cannot do this on your own.
In some ways I commend ASB for putting their services out there and offering a package that allows couples to come forward and ask for help. Its not like you have a five figure sum of cash sitting in your back pocket just to try this every day. To give you an idea, one series of drugs my wife had to take over the period of lead up days we did some sums, we had over $5000 of injections and needles and other items in our possession before we had any procedures done. We were fortunate enough to have two procedures publicly funded therefore the financial cost was minimal to us, outside of some supplements and other items that are known to help fertility and related issues.
But in other ways I have to be weary of this as well. Like any loan, you have taken it out, once you have spent the money there is an obligation to pay it back. Regardless of the outcome, positive or negative you have a hefty loan to pay back with interest. If it is positive, you have the loan to pay back and another mouth to feed. If its not successful, you have a double negative, no baby, + a loan + interest and a constant reminder of the failure.
IVF is no guarantee of success. While it is a blessing to have the science available to achieve this goal it is not 100% successful. In this way I think ASB is trying to foster an avenue, that while commendable is still something that I think is not the place of commercial banks in the public domain, but more someone who is up with personal banking and knows their clients.
You can spend $15,000 on one cycle and not be successful, and still have $15,000 + interest to pay. That's a big reminder of something that might have been. It is hard enough going through the emotional process let alone just going through the process.
I wouldn't say people shouldn't take ASB's offer up. But bearing in mind the implications that come with this process and this loan...and I wish them well.
posted by Wiremu Bayliss at
8:40 am
1 Comments
