It all comes down to $$$

I feel bad because I'm about to complain about what a pain dealing with insurance is. I know that there are thousands of families (or more like "families-in-waiting) who don't have the luxury of having infertility treatment covered. I have some of the best insurance around and I still have frustrations about the whole thing. My cycles have typically cost about $25000. That sounds about right to me (based on what I had read before beginning my first cycle). What I didn't know is that half of that cost is the medication. After my 2nd cycle, I was told that I had used my fertility medication coverage for the year - maxed out at $10,000. I panicked because it meant that if I was not pregnant and needed another cycle, I would have to come up a lot of money that I definitely didn't have. My nurse (the angelic Farrah at Fair Oaks SGFC) figured out way for me to get meds and eventually submitted a waiver to my insurance so that we were able to do cycle 3 without paying anything out of pocket, aside from some Endometrin inserts which are not too costly.

So now here we are. Going to see Dr. Browne on Tuesday. I don't know if insurance will cooperate with us this time. How many chances do we have to get off the hook? For procedures, I should be covered. My insurance company clearly states that they cover up to $100,000 for IVF. But is medication included in that number? Even if it is, I should have half of that left at least (our first cycle was covered by my husband's insurance). We should be able to give another go this year. But will they say I have to wait until 2010? Not in their best interest I say. The longer we wait, the less likely it will work and the more likely I'll have to have another cycle - that costs them more money.

So when it comes down to it, it's all about money. If we didn't have insurance, what would we do? What do so many other people do? Take out loans? I can't imagine getting that phone call ("Tracey? I'm so sorry, but your test is negative.") and on top of the pain of the news having to worry about now being another $25,000 in debt! Totally worth it if you have a baby to show for it, but an empty belly and another bill in the mail? Ech... At least we have a chance for coverage and for that I know I am blessed.