Insurance: Covered or... Not

It's How Much for IVF?! O_o

When it comes to IVF (in vitro fertilization), there doesn't appear to be any cheap routes whatsoever.  Some find themselves against a brick wall much like we felt when wanting to use an agency to adopt.  Some $20,000 price tag attached and that was one of the smaller fees.  I don't know how I managed but two years ago I was able to get our health insurance to cover my $50,000 Duodenal Switch weight loss surgery and we thought I would get pregnant after getting that weight off.  It didn't happen and now we know whatever I do it won't get me pregnant, as I was not the one with the complications.

So, here we are with Aetna health insurance through Nate's employer, Kraft Foods Global.  We have always had great insurance with them.  I have been calling into Aetna a lot, asking around and asking my fertility clinic about the financial burden that IVF can be.  We were provided with good news in two instances:

• Aetna covers $30,000 lifetime maximum medical coverage for fertility with the plan we have
• Ironically, effective January 1 2012, if the fertility drugs are billed through a pharmacy instead of with an office visit (medical claim) then the fertility drugs will be covered up to a lifetime maximum of $15,000 (if billed with an office visit they count towards the $30,000 medical)

Now, let me tell you how amazing this is.  My fertility drugs they are putting me on for the February procedure are going to be $5,000 and I thought for sure they were going to be out of pocket.  God just blessed us again.  We are so blessed that they are covered.  We were smart though to make sure to take flexible spending money on both our employers to cover any medical costs outside the realm of insurance like the sounding I am doing in February which is $350 out of pocket.  That, my friend, is so being paid with my Flexible Spending Account card. And this is just the beginning.  I am about ready!

Our shot education class is January 10th and I go on my first trip the 11th.  The IVF will be in mid-February and we are so excited.  This is a rare instance where an insurance company is truly doing what they should- cover fertility treatments.