How did you pay for IVF?

LCP77 · Post by **LCP77** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:01 pm

Hi all! I live in Arizona and there are no laws mandating that insurance companies cover any infertility treatments or even diagnostic tests. My insurance does not cover anything infertility related. Did anyone pay by borrowing against their retirement (401k, IRA, etc.)? Or any other option for paying? If so, how did you go about it? Thanks!

LCP

Just a sidenote - I think it is so unfair for insurance to consider having children a lifestyle choice, I think it is a God given right! They even cover Viagra!!! Ok, venting over, thank you for your help!

AuntyPebbles · Post by **AuntyPebbles** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 11:57 pm

Hey there, i know i kind of agree with you about the paying thing that so many couples dont get to have that dream purely due to financial aspect ... although i see fertility treatment as a cure for a medical condition so should always have some funding
also annoys me that there is no charity for us women who have to bring our quest for a baby to a stop because we dont have enough money...so
me and a friend of mine are planning on winning the lotto and setting up a charity for us couples...

wishing you luck

hugs Debz

KF'06 · Post by **KF'06** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 3:06 pm

My first insurance - Aetna - covered 3 IUIs. Now my company switched to United healthcare, cheaper plan that doesn't cover much: only diagnostics (which we did long time ago) and some meds (not expensive ones). So, instead of 3000$-4000$ for the meds, we paid 2870$. Our procedure (including the meds) will cost about 15000. We took the money from the home equity credit line that we opened a year ago. The only way we can afford it is to borrow money from the bank.

It seems so unfair that some states require coverage by law but some don't. Plus in other countries IVF is much cheaper than in US.

LCP77 · Post by **LCP77** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:22 pm

Thanks all! I am pretty sure it will go on credit cards for us. Which in the end will be ok because we are in the process of selling our old house and will be able to pay off the cards (I hope

). I just think it is so unfair, but such is life!

If anyone is interested, I went to the RESOLVE website and you can fill out a form that forwards a letter to your state representatives regarding the state's disregard for infertility. It felt really good to be able to tell others how it feels to be infertile and to get little to no help from the state you pay all your hard-earned money to.

Leah

brekkemdb · Post by **brekkemdb** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 3:50 am

We live in minnesota and they too don't have any laws regarding infertility treatment. Our ins did cover our 3 cycles of iui and did cover all our prelim stuff for ivf (the biling dept at our clinic wording things just right for us so that ins would pay---it saved us almost 3000 dollars) We second morgaged our home to get our funds for ivf. My only thought about using a credit card is the interest will probably be alot higher then borrowing against your house maybe you credit card has a special offer though. It will take us 8 years to pay it off our cycle of IVF but it was soooo worth it we got a BFP this week--first cycle too. I wish you the best of luck.
bridget

Jovigal · Post by **Jovigal** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 12:44 pm

Same here in Tn. Our ins only pays for the ancillary and office visits. If we move to IVF, we'll probably will have to borrow from my retirement. Just a tip, you can turn these expenses that you pay out of your pocket in as a tax deduction.

deepa100 · Post by **deepa100** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 3:30 pm

I too live in Minnesota. We spent some of our savings for the 1 st cycle. It costed a total of 20K, ins paid 10K and we paid the rest. With this, ins. coverage is all used up (total 15k, they paid for 4 cycles of clomid IUI
+ part of I st IVF). Now we are on our own for FET and possible second round of IVF.

ogr1 · Post by **ogr1** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 8:59 pm

WE HAD SAVED UP THE 8,000
that we where told it would cost.

then we ended up borring 70,000 against our home.
test and meds and extra treatments add up fast.
we went in and talk with a lady that we knew very well at our banck and she helped us refinace our house so it would be cheaper rates..

gdph630 · Post by **gdph630** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 1:28 am

we did 4 round 2 fresh 2frozen we took a loan refinanced , got accepted to a grant scrapped out enough for the last now we are doind diui
good luck

babylove2007 · Post by **babylove2007** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 9:36 pm

Hi,

I live in OR and no coverage for IVF. We spent $15,000 last March for our first IVF and it did not work. We are looking for IVF treatments in Europe. I found 2 clinics in Czech Republic that cost about $3000 - S4000 (including medicine). I am looking for people who have done this treatment abroad. Here in the US, it will cost us $9,000 for a second treatment.

I just don't understand why the insurance companies will not help pay for something like this.

Babylove2007
Me 38 H 42

DioneT2002 · Post by **DioneT2002** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:48 pm

I live in IL and am fortunate with my insurance carrier, Aetna. Our copay for all the meds was about $150 and the copays for the doctors visits was about $100 and add another $100 for the orientation class. We know that we were very blessed. They do, however, put a $10,000 lifetime max on the coverage so if the first time didn't work (which it did), we would have had to pay about half out of pocket for the second go.
It is so riduculous that we have to be concerned about such things.

Dione

06katie · Post by **06katie** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:26 pm

I live in PA and my insurance doesn't cover anything either. We were only anticipating having a vascetomy reversed, but when that didn't work I got lucky with a fertility appt the very next day!. We were able to freeze some swimmers so I started my first round of IVF Labor Day wknd. We raised our home equity loan to cover a lot of this, but were really anticipating the reversal to work. Things wouldn't be so bad if we weren't paying child support for 2 lovely teenage boys. I planted a garden that last 3 years and that really helps out with saving $$. I would really resist tapping into your 401K as a LAST resort. If you own a home, have you looked into a home equity loan or even a personal loan. With a home equity loan you can deduct the interest on your taxes.

Katie
ME - 36
DH - 39
failed vas reversal
stepmom to 2 boys 16 & 18

tony · Post by **tony** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 11:31 am

have you tryed to apply for a grant??talk to your clinic about it

How did you pay for IVF?

How did you pay for IVF?

Advertisements