If you’re taking the time to research your options for storing cord blood with a private cord blood bank, you’ve probably noticed that there is a wide range in pricing between the different providers. Some may have lower upfront payment options, while others may charge more for annual cord blood storage fees. Some providers may just be more expensive across the board than others.
You may be wondering why this is and what exactly goes into determining the cost of cord blood banking. On the surface it may seem like all cord blood banking plans are the same, but that’s actually not true. But don’t worry, MiracleCord is here to help you understand the differences between plans and make sense of cord blood banking costs.
What Will You Be Banking?
Deciding whether you plan to store stem cells from cord blood, cord tissue, or both will be one of the primary factors that determines how much your plan will cost. Most private cord blood banks offer both cord blood and cord tissue stem cell banking, and they also offer different options for the length of storage.
Banking your baby’s umbilical cord blood only will be the least expensive option. Adding cord tissue banking as well will increase the cost of your plan. Some providers, like MiracleCord, offer the option to store both your baby’s cord blood and cord tissue together in one plan. Others may charge a separate fee for storing cord blood and cord tissue rather than packaging them together, which can increase your costs.
While banking cord tissue stem cells does increase the cost of your plan, it is highly recommended. This is because banking both cord blood and cord tissue will provide the widest range of medical treatment options for your child and family members in case a stem cell transplant is needed in the future.
How Long Will You Be Storing Cord Blood & Cord Tissue?
The next consideration when calculating the cost of cord blood banking is how long do you want to store the cord blood and cord tissue from your baby’s umbilical cord.
Most providers will offer a one-year storage plan that you can renew annually. This plan is typically the cheapest option on the surface, but will be more expensive in the long run as you pay the annual store each year.
Because stem cells collected from cord blood and cord tissue can be viable for decades, and many medical conditions don’t appear until later in life, it’s highly recommended that cord blood and cord tissue be stored for long periods of time. This is why most private cord blood banks offer multi-year and lifetime storage plan options as well.
While 20-year and lifetime storage plans, like those offered by MiracleCord, will cost more upfront, in the long run they are ultimately far less expensive over time than an annual plan. For instance, the upfront cost of $2,695 for MiracleCord’s 20-Year Cord Blood Banking plan will save you $1,075, versus the cost of the Annual Storage Plan after paying the initial fees plus the annual storage fee for the same period of time.
Beware of High Annual Storage Fees
The last charge you will need to be aware of when considering the cost of cord blood banking are the annual storage fees. Annual storage fees are the price that a cord blood bank charges (if you choose an annual plan; this does not apply to multi-year and lifetime storage plans) to properly maintain your specimens in cryo-storage and ensure that they remain viable for the life of your plan.
Costs for annual storage fees vary substantially between providers and may not always be apparent when you sign up for your plan. If you’re not aware of these fees at the time you purchase your plan, they can add up quickly and end up costing you over time. In many cases, “budget” cord blood banking plans often make up for the low up-front costs with high storage fees. This means that the price you see, may not always end up being the price you actually pay.
At MiracleCord, we are committed to providing you with upfront, transparent information about the price you will pay for your cord blood banking plan. For our annual storage plans, we charge $150/year for cord blood banking and $250/year for cord blood & cord tissue banking. Other providers have been known to charge up to 50% more than that amount.
Also, many cord blood banks raise the annual storage fees billed to their existing customers each year. MiracleCord has never raised the annual storage fees on our existing clients.
Payment Plan Options
Another factor that will affect how much you pay for your cord blood banking plan is the payment plan you choose.
Most providers offer a one-time payment option, or the ability to make payments over a certain period of time. Each option has its own benefits, but payment plans will typically result in a small increase in cost due to added financing charges.
For example, the 12-Month Payment Plan from MiracleCord provides you with the flexibility of paying for your cord blood banking plan over time, making it more accessible for those who may not be able to pay for the full cost upfront. However, when choosing this option, a small percentage is applied to cover the costs for financing your plan.
If you have the ability to pay for your plan in one lump sum, you can avoid these finance charges and save money.
Finance charges vary between plans and providers. If you would like to choose MiracleCord’s 12-Month Payment Plan for your cord blood banking needs, feel free to contact us to learn more about how that will affect your costs.
The MiracleCord Advantage
MiracleCord is committed to providing the highest quality cord blood and cord tissue banking services at affordable prices. We continue to focus on investing in proven, safe and reliable technologies to provide families with the highest margin of stem cell recovery. In addition to providing you with affordable pricing, MiracleCord plans have no hidden fees and come with the following additional services, many of which our competitors can’t match:
$100,000 Quality Guarantee
If your child's cord blood unit is used in a stem cell transplant and the cells fail to engraft, MiracleCord will pay up to $100,000 towards the cost of procurement of an alternative stem cell source.
StemCare® Collection Kit
MiracleCord’s StemCare thermal collection kit includes an FDA-approved, sterile cord blood collection bag that is Heparin-free and safe for use in the sterile field for C-sections.
TimeCritical ® Processing
MiracleCord has the unique ability to process cord blood and cord tissue in significantly less time than most other cord blood banks with our exclusive TimeCritical processing. This can yield considerably more viable stem cells.
AXP® II Automated Processing
MiracleCord's laboratory uses the advanced AXP II automated processing system, with the proven ability to recover 99% of cells – 20% higher than Sepax® and Hespan® processing methods.
Experienced Laboratory
With more than two decades of experience, MiracleCord’s state-of-the-art cord blood banking laboratory is FDA registered and AABB accredited. This ensures that we adhere to the most stringent standards for cord blood and cord tissue banking.
Best Price Guarantee
We never cut corners on the high-quality service that we offer, and we guarantee that your family will receive the best price for cord blood and cord tissue banking! MiracleCord will match any other company's price for comparable services.
If you have questions about the cost of our cord blood & cord tissue banking plans, feel free to call us at 888.743.2673 or download our Free Info Kit now.
