Comments on: Health Insurance Covering Infertility Treatment

By: Louise Norris

Louise Norris — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 06:09:34 +0000

@sunnie: We are not aware of any health insurance companies in Colorado that cover IVF. I am so sorry that you're having to go through this. You might try searching online for places that offer low-interest loans for IFV or other financial assistance. We wish you all the best.

By: sunnie

sunnie — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 15:35:44 +0000

We have visited two IVF doctors, the prices they are mentioning continues to bother us. Depression is about to set in as age roles in on us. We need kids. Our insurance cannnot cover IVF. Please tell us if you know any insurance that would cover IVF. We can’t afford to pay out of pocket. Please help us. SOS

By: Sharon

Sharon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:28:08 +0000

Coverage is often a question of quality of life – whether a disease is terminal or chronic. A protestic limb or reconstructive surgery are typically considered appropriate medical assistance, whether a congenital or acquired loss. Likewise, I would propose that assistance to overcome defects and losses related to fertility would be covered. I believe to have children is a quality of life choice a person ought to have the OPPORTUNITY to make. If a person who has lost a limb chooses not to get a prostetic because they are not physically active (or whatever their reason), that is their choice; but they have an opportunity to choose what quality of life means to them. (I think that most would opt for a prostetic.)

My husband and I have had unexplained infertility and pregnancy loss for five years. Treatment was recommended to us, but we did not pursue as we have no coverage. I got pregnant naturally for the fourth time and ironically I near lost my life – it was an ectopic pregnancy that ruptured despite early medical intervention. That one day to save my life cost $40K, more than five years of fertility testing and conventional treatment would have been.

So now I am without “limb” so to say. I would like the opportunity, like other survivors, to pursue the quality of life I desire. A medicine could assist me (and my husband who has genetic issues). Of course these are not covered, not does my company cover the extensive adoption expenses. My choices are to continue “limping” along until we raise money for treatment or adoption, or choose a child-free life – which for my husband and I would be loss of our quality of life. We would find ways to compenstate, but it is sad that our “community” does not support us.

By: Jay

Jay — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 07:06:04 +0000

Thanks for the comment Cheri. You make a good point. But to be clear, the point of this article is “how hard it is to get individual health insurance after you’ve had infertility treatments.” None of the individual health insurance companies in Colorado cover sex change operations.

By: Cheri

Cheri — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 21:13:12 +0000

Well, in Colorado, sex change operations are acceptable for insurance companies to cover…and a person won’t die if they don’t get it done. Mental illness is an illness, and depression can be a factor when TTC and being unable to seek further treatment because of the high costs. I think if insurance companies can cover things like sex change operations, viagra, etc, then they ought to cover infertility, which is, by the way, a medical condtion. I think that you have a better chance of people choosing more conservative options (maybe IUI or transfer of less than 3 embryos) and less cost to the insurance companies in the long run. I think that by NOT covering, many couples would get desperate, and with the fear that the treatment won’t work, would go to extremes to avoid #1 the disappointment of it not working and #2 the fear that they would have pay for another cycle they cannot afford. Thus, more expense for having to cover NICU and other complications from higher-order multiple births, or maybe, you’ll get women self-treating with ovulation induction medications, because of cost, and the pregnancy would be compromised…yet another cost for not covering…

By: Grant

Grant — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:52:06 +0000

“My hospital stay alone was a little over $131,000. That doesn’t include all the doctor fees for myself and for my children.”

I guess that’s why health insurance companies won’t even consider somebody who has gone through IVF before. If that person pays the $13,000 out of pocket for the IVF when she has coverage, the insurance company is on the hook for a big claim. Allowing them to put an exclusion on pregnancy would be a perfect solution.

By: Heather

Heather — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:27:33 +0000

I know one reason that others have brought up for having insurance cover fertility treatments is that perhaps couples wouldn’t feel a need to transfer more than one embryo and thus, decreasing the chance of having multiples and having those babies be in the NICU for however long or for the mother to be on hospital bedrest – both of which are covered by insurance and cost insurance companies quite a bit. When insurance doesn’t cover fertility treatments, there’s a need by many couples to transfer 2 or 3 embryos which sometimes, though not always, result in multiples. In the long run, would have been less expensive to cover treatments or to cover the NICU and hospital bedrest stays?

That being said, I’ve gone through IVF. I had two embryos transferred and it did result in a twin pregnancy. We paid for IVF out of pocket. I ended up spending 5 weeks in the hospital on bedrest. Thankfully, my babies did not need a NICU stay though I know of many other twin moms whose babies did. My hospital stay alone was a little over $131,000. That doesn’t include all the doctor fees for myself and for my children. One single round of IVF costs $10,000 plus another $3000 or so for the drugs. In all honesty, I don’t know if I would have done things differently if my insurance covered my treatments. I love my twins so much and I can’t imagine life without them, but there is possibility I would have chosen to transfer just one embryo at a time as I did fear a twin pregnancy but I also was afraid if I just transferred one, it wouldn’t work and we’d have to spend another $13000 to do it all over again.