Brave & Curious with Dr Lora Shahine22 Huhti

Ep 170 Cost of Fertility Care: Solutions with Angela Rastegar from Sunfish

What if the hardest part of your fertility journey isn't the medicine, it's affording the best treatment? How do you plan for IVF costs when coverage is unclear or incomplete? And is there a smarter, more supported way to navigate the financial stress of building a family?

In this episode of Brave & Curious, Angela Rastegar, CEO and founder of Sunfish, joins Dr. Lora Shahine. They are honoring National Fertility Week through their conversation that explores the real cost of fertility care and why financial planning is just as critical as medical care.

Angela shares her deeply personal fertility journey, including multiple rounds of egg freezing without financial support, and how that experience led her to build a platform designed to support patients through every step of their family-building journey, from egg freezing and IVF to surrogacy. Dr. Shahine and Angela talk about the hidden gaps in insurance coverage, the rising reality of fertility-related debt, and how Sunfish's data-driven, AI-powered programs aim to reduce uncertainty with personalized care plans, cost transparency, and even financial protections for IVF and egg freezing outcomes.

In this episode you'll hear:

[0:34] Angela Rastegar's personal journey, without financial support
[3:28] Along comes Sunfish
[5:45] The IVF Success Program
[8:35] The hidden costs of IVF
[13:40] Common misconceptions with insurance coverage
[19:53] Step-by-step breakdown of cost
[23:01] Grants, loans, and creative solutions
[27:08] New AI-powered egg freezing program
[30:55]The "silent tax" of egg freezing
[37:00] Getting connected to Sunfish

Resources mentioned:

joinsunfish.com

Sunfish provides personalized financial plans using proprietary software to estimate costs for each Program. If actual costs exceed projections, eligible patients may receive a partial refund under program terms. Sunfish is not a medical provider. Terms and conditions apply.

Dr. Shahine's Weekly Newsletter on Fertility News and Recommendations

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This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.

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