Cost Options for your Vasectomy Procedure

Once a man has decided that a vasectomy is the right lifestyle choice for birth control, the next step is finding a doctor as well as a way to finance the procedure. Many men believe that the procedure is expensive which is why they depend on the wife or female companion in their life to handle birth control. The fact is that vasectomies these days are very affordable and some insurance plans will at least cover part if not most of the procedure.

A vasectomy does not normally require a hospital stay or even an out-patient basis at a clinic. The surgical procedure can be performed right in the office of the doctor! Therefore, the man is not incurring all of the costs associated with a hospital stay. Vasectomies rate among the most affordable of all surgeries and only take about 30 minutes to complete. The average cost for the procedure can be anywhere from $600 to $1,000 or more, give or take a few hundred dollars.

The cost of the vasectomy is affected by several factors. First of all, prices are somewhat geographic specific due to cost of living in an area, although a man can get the same quality of care practically anywhere. Another factor that affects the cost of the vasectomy is the type of surgical technique the doctor uses. The traditional approach which uses a needle for anesthetic and a scalpel for the incision will likely be cheaper than newer techniques like the no-needle vasectomy which uses a pressurized jet spray that anesthetizes the scrotum area. The newer the technology, the more expensive the price is. Of course, it is all dependent too on what and how much insurance can or will cover.

If there is any debate about whether the man or the woman should undergo a permanent birth control technique and both cost and recovery were a factor, the vasectomy would win hands down as the preferred method. Women who have a tubal ligation must undergo general anesthetic as the procedure is rather complex and will require several days’ stay in a hospital. The recovery time could take up to two months or more and the cost can be quite higher and is not always covered by insurance. Comparing the male and female permanent birth control options, the vasectomy is the cheapest and least painful option with minimal recovery time.

To determine whether a man can afford the vasectomy, here are three options to consider:

1. Pay cash. Saving the money for the procedure wouldn’t take long and there is a chance that a discount could be obtained by paying for services upfront. By cutting out a few extras for a couple of months, the cost could be carved out of a budget with ease.

2. Check with the insurance company regarding coverage for a vasectomy. There may be out-of-pocket costs like co-pay for doctor services but if the procedure is covered, insurance would pay most of it.

3. If you have a credit card with a large enough limit, the vasectomy may be able to be paid for with it. Of course, using a credit card would mean incurring the finance fees that most cards charge for the privilege of using it.

4. The final option for paying for a vasectomy would be a combination of any or all of the above options.