Since the year 2000, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (“ASRM”) and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (“SART”) established and maintained a limit on what they considered appropriate donor compensation (amounts more than $5,000 required “justification” and amounts above $10,000 were “not appropriate”). An antitrust lawsuit charging price fixing (Kamakahi v. American Society for Reproductive Medicine) was initiated against the ASRM in 2011 and settled in February 2016; since the ASRM has removed the compensation limits from its ethical guidelines.
We believe that donors should be compensated at a rate higher than the outdated recommendations established many years ago. Accordingly, in February 2016 we have raised our donor compensation to $12,000 for first-time candidates (from $10,000) and to $15,000 for previous donors (from $10,000). NAFG’s own fee structure remains the same.
NAFG has been a member of ASRM and SART since we started in 2006. We have always followed and will continue to follow their ethical guidelines as related to our program.