How we got insurance…

I talked a little bit in my previous post about why we chose our fertility doctor and part of that had to do with money of course.  But also it was due to the fact that CFI was in our network and I had insurance coverage.  I was able to get IVF covered because – heart still breaking – I had a miscarriage.  So it was at a great cost that I was able to become one of the “lucky” ones that got IVF covered. 

It is so sad to me that this is the only way I would qualify.  I wanted them to care about the test we did and look at my numbers to see that I was a perfect candidate for IVF insurance coverage but that is not how the current system works. 

With that said I truly believe that God knew what he was doing and quite frankly had a plan and if we were not able to get coverage I am not sure what we would have done.  There was talk about selling our house and moving to a cheaper mortgage, selling my wedding ring, taking out a loan, opening a new credit card,  and picking up 2nd jobs.  I also started thinking about how I could fundraise, save face but appeal to our friends and family with such humble desperation that they would chip in on this dream of ours.  

So we had insurance coverage for our retrieval round and our first transfer.  Our 2nd transfer – which we hope to do pretty quickly – we will have to pay for out of pocket.  Which is a scary thought because we will also have daycare costs.  But it puts my in the frame of mine that relates to any other person that is having to pay out of pocket for IVF.  

Out of pocket…

Through this process of being open I have had a few people reach out to me and ask how we were paying for this.  A dear friend opened up to let me know that they were starting the process and I jumped in to help.  Mostly because selfishly I do not want to live on an IVF island alone and having a best friend go through it will mean I am not. 

My friend is going to have to pay for their round out of pocket so I started doing research on what her costs would be compared to mine.  Apples to apples her rates were way lower than mine although still staggering.  I wish I had better news but this process is expensive.  To give you a real life comparison – a vaginal ultrasound – which you will have a lot of – is $380 with insurance and around $165 without insurance.  This is a less than 15 minute procedure so the cost is high, but the technology is good.  I am not sure what I would have been like through this process if I had know every time I went in for a progress check and ultrasound that it was at a minimum $165 for that 15 minutes.  I wonder if I would have skipped some appointments or 2nd guessed every single one…especially with this disappointments.  

The meds…

So one thing I have not touched on yet is the med costs. I am so torn on this one because a doctor is prescribing you medicine you need. It feels like it should be covered 100%. But some of these meds have to be compounded and then you add them to a vial and inject yourself. So guarantee this is not a normal prescription, but the progesterone and estrogen feel like they should be covered. What in the heck do I know…

A lot of women push their insurance companies to cover them…but time is of the essence when going through this process so getting your meds on time may be the difference in being pregnant in Feb versus April.  Missing a deadline means missing a month or two.  

One of the amazing IVF warriors in my group put together this cheat sheet on the cheapest places to buy meds. She deserves all the credit but I want to share because I think it is important.

In summary…

I would expect to spend $15,000-20,000 for out of pocket IVF round.  $10-12,0000 on just the doctors and clinical fees (should include storage for your emb babies) and $3,000-5,000 on meds (unless you have the stamina to fight for these to be covered)!  If you get an estimate – oh yeah – definitely get an estimate and hold the doctor to it – that is higher than this…I would keep shopping or ask a lot of question what the additional cost is.  Beware of “packages” because your story is unique and there is no way to package what you will need.  

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