Do I need private health insurance for IVF?
Considering starting IVF? Find out whether you need private health insurance.
Infertility is hard. You need to deal with daunting (and often stressful) medical appointments and procedures, as well as the emotional roller coaster of hope and disappointment.
And to make it worse, much of your journey to conception is out of your control to a large extent. There is, however, one aspect of fertility treatment that you are in control of, and that is your choice of fertility clinic and costs.
By being proactive about your insurance coverage, you can remove one stress and feel as if you have more control over the process.
The good news is in some states there is mandated infertility insurance coverage. The level of coverage for infertility treatments can vary greatly so it is important to read through your current insurance coverage or call your company to see what is covered.
If you don’t have mandated infertility insurance, here’s a quick guide to your choices.
Check your insurance from your employer
If you have a health insurance plan from your employer you may be eligible for infertility coverage. To find out, read through the paperwork that you received initially for details on coverage and costs.
However, if you’ve been with your company for a while there is a chance that the coverage may have changed. So check with your HR department to see if the information booklets you have are up to date.
If you do not have coverage at work you should speak to someone in HR about getting benefits. Your HR manager can often work with insurance providers to include certain coverage types.
Look into getting your own private health insurance
If you don’t have coverage from your employer you can get private insurance to cover your infertility costs.
There are many different health insurance plans available, and the choice can seem bewildering. So where do you begin? A good starting point is to get recommendations for the fertility specialist you want to try. Then find a health insurance plan that covers them.
The last thing you want is to spend hours researching health insurance plans, only to discover that the one you have chosen won’t cover treatment with your preferred fertility clinic.
You can typically check out which doctors are in-network, compare prices of copayments and deductibles, and see detailed coverage information online.
Work out your costs – health insurance is often cheaper
It is important to be aware of the costs involved with your treatment and insurance coverage. Bills can pile up fast and once your treatment gets started you will have to buy things for your baby.
The cost of IVF out of pocket is extremely expensive. Even with the updated technology of today’s healthcare system you still need to be monitored or take expensive medications. It’s often cheaper for you to get a private insurance policy that covers your IVF treatments instead of trying to pay out-of-pocket costs.
If your current insurance plans don’t cover the costs of your infertility treatments, see if you can get employer coverage or a private insurance plan. If you aren’t covered, do some research and see if you live in a state with mandated infertility coverage.
You can always have more than one insurance plan, so even if you’ve got insurance through your employer you can still purchase a private plan that will cover the cost of your IVF treatments.
The cost of treatments can be up to $10,000 and will really make a dent in your savings. And while purchasing an insurance plan may be costly, it is nowhere near the cost of out-of-pocket care.
Be aware of your costs for copays, deductibles, and monthly insurance bills so you’ll be less stressed out and can focus on your health and creating life. It’ll all be worth it when you feel those little chubby baby arms wrapped around your neck!
Photo by Kelly Sikkema
