Alabama Supreme Court Rules Frozen Embryos are “Unborn Children” and admonishes IVF’s “Wild West” treatment

Legally Speaking™ on presenting facts and reflecting on the impact and potential implications of  legal developments in ART. View the Column

What's New from the Fertility and Sterility Family of Journals

Here’s a peek at this month’s issues from our family of journals! As an ASRM Member, you can access all of our journals. Not yet a member? Click here(no link) to learn more. Find More

Shipping of frozen embryos

I have some infertility coverage, under which my insurance said they will cover frozen embryo shipping/transport from one facility to another.  View the Answer

Clinical management of mosaic results from preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy of blastocysts: a committee opinion (2023)

This document incorporates studies about mosaic embryo transfer and provides evidence-based considerations for embryos with mosaic results on PGT-A. View the Committee Opinion

Frozen Embryo Destruction and Potential Travel Restrictions for Surrogacy Arrangements

Legally Speaking™ focuses on the impact and the potential implications of legal developments on the assisted reproductive technologies. View the Column

Journal Club Global: Transferencia de embriones frescos versus congelados: ¿Cuál es la mejor opción

Los resultados de nuevas técnicas de investigación clínica que utilizan información de bancos nacionales de vigilancia médica.   View the Video

Defining embryo donation: an Ethics Committee opinion (2023)

View the Committee Opinion

Does the number of eggs being frozen matter?

There is currently only one CPT code for the cryopreservation of mature oocytes and embryos.  View the Answer

Reproductive Tissue Storage

What are the CPT codes for the Storage of Reproductive Cells/Tissues? View the Answer

ICSI and Embryo Biopsy

How to bill for ICSI or embryo biopsies that occur in different days?  View the Answer

Lab RVUs

Is there a list of RVUs for embryology and andrology laboratory procedures, and if so, where can it be found? View the Answer

Embryo Biopsy

Have any new codes been introduced for the lab portion of PGT? View the Answer

Embryo Biopsy Embryologist Travel Costs

Can we bill insurance for the biopsy procedure? Can we bill for travel expenses? View the Answer

Embryo Biopsy PGS Testing

What codes are appropriate for PGS testing? View the Answer

Embryo Co-culture

Can codes 89250 and 89251 be billed on different days of the same cycle?  View the Answer

Embryo Culture Denied As Experimental

We have received denials from insurance payers when billing CPT code 89251.  View the Answer

Embryo Culture Less Than And More Than Four Days

When coding 89250 culture of oocytes/embryo <4 days, should that code be submitted to the insurance company for each of the days? View the Answer

Embryo Freezing/Thawing

Our question refers to the CPT code 89258 “Cryopreservation; Embryo(s)” and 89352 “Thawing of Cryopreserved; Embryo”.  View the Answer

Embryo Storage Fees For Multiple Cycles

We bill embryo storage 89342 for a year's storage.  View the Answer

Embryo Thawing/Warming

Is it allowable to bill 89250 for the culture of embryos after thaw for a frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle? View the Answer

Gamete Thawing/Warming

Can patients be charged for each vial/straw of reproductive gametes or tissues thawed? View the Answer

D&C Under Ultrasound Guidance

What are the CPT codes and ICD-10 codes for coding a surgical case for a patient with history of Stage B adenocarcinoma of the cervix ... View the Answer

Assisted Hatching Billed With Embryo Biopsy

Do you know if both assisted hatching (89253) and embryo biopsy for PGS/PGD/CCS (89290/89291) can be billed during the same cycle?  View the Answer

Assisted Zona Hatching

Can assisted hatching and embryo biopsy for PGT-A; PGT-M or PGT-SR be billed during the same cycle? View the Answer

Billing For Cryopreservation Of Embryos Under The Male Partner

Can 89258 be billed under the male partner of a female patient? View the Answer

Embryo Transfer

A summary of Embryo Transfer codes collected by the ASRM Coding Committee View the Coding Summary

Journal Club Global: Is PGT-P cutting edge or should we cut it out?

PGT for polygenic risk scoring (PGT-P) is a novel screening strategy of embryos for polygenic conditions and traits. View the Video

Disposition of unclaimed embryos: an Ethics Committee opinion

Programs should create and enforce written policies addressing the designation, retention, and disposal of unclaimed embryos. View the Committee Opinion

A review of best practices of rapid-cooling vitrification for oocytes and embryos: a committee opinion (2021)

The focus of this paper is to review best practices for rapid-cooling cryopreservation of oocytes and embryos. View the Committee Opinion

Ethics in embryo research: a position statement by the ASRM Ethics in Embryo Research Task Force and the ASRM Ethics Committee (2020)

Scientific research using human embryos advances human health and offspring well-being and provides vital insights into the mechanisms for reproduction and disease. Research involving human embryos is ethically acceptable if it is likely to provide significant new knowledge that may benefit human health, well-being of the offspring, or reproduction. View the Committee Opinion

Guidance for Providers Caring for Women and Men Of Reproductive Age with Possible Zika Virus Exposure (Updated 2019)

This ASRM guidance specifically addresses Zika virus infection issues and concerns of individuals undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ART). View the Guideline

Blastocyst culture and transfer in clinically assisted reproduction: a committee opinion (2018)

The purposes of this document is to review the literature regarding the clinical application of blastocyst transfer. View the Committee Opinion

Posthumous retrieval and use of gametes or embryos: an Ethics Committee opinion (2018)

Posthumous gamete (sperm or oocyte) retrieval or use for reproductive purposes is ethically justifiable if written documentation from the deceased authorizing the procedure is available. View the Committee Opinion

Disclosure of medical errors involving gametes and embryos: an Ethics Committee opinion (2016)

Medical providers have an ethical duty to disclose clinically significant errors involving gametes and embryos as soon as they are discovered. Clinics also should have written policies in place for reducing and disclosing errors. View the Committee Document

Recommended practices for the management of embryology, andrology, and endocrinology laboratories: a committee opinion (2014)

A general overview for good management practices within the endocrinology, andrology, and embryology laboratories in the United States. View the Recommendation

Informed consent and the use of gametes and embryos for research: a committee opinion (2014)

The ethical conduct of human gamete and embryo research depends upon conscientious application of principles of informed consent. View the Committee Opinion

ASRM EDGE Tool

Get the EDGE on your fellow Embryologists! As the grading of embryos varies within IVF laboratories and between laboratories, EDGE allows you to compare yourself against embryologists in the US and around the world. Learn more about the EDGE Tool