So in my last couple of posts, I talked about how excited we were about the new insurance my husband has. We still are very excited and EXTREMELY blessed to even have infertility coverage, however, there is a little more to the financial side of IVF. Although we have a lifetime max of $12,000 for infertility coverage, there are still some other caveats. One of them is that we have a deductible we have to meet. Of course that is the norm with most insurance plans, but in addition to that we also have co-insurance of 20% we have to pay. Again, both of these things are normal with most if not all plans, but a lot of times you can work out payment plans with doctors/hospitals if you can’t afford to pay this amount up front. Well, with ART procedures, the RE’s office wants this paid in advance. So we’re looking at a couple of thousand dollars that we have to pay out of pocket. In addition to ALL of that, we also have to pay for our medications out of pocket and that’s another $3,000-$6,000. We won’t know exactly how much until we’re done with testing and have what’s called our baseline appointment.
So, this leaves us with a lot more to consider. We still haven’t made a decision yet as this is a lot to consider and it will be a major financial commitment. We also found out that we would have to go to a infertility counselor before we even start the process. That is also something that we have to pay out of pocket. My doctor also mentioned having genetic testing (PGS or PGD) performed on the embryos. He says that having this testing done increases the success rate of IVF as it helps rule out chromosomal abnormalities that could ultimately lead to either the embryo not implanting or a miscarriage. This is also an additional out of pocket cost (approximately $3,500) as insurance doesn’t cover it. I’m also not sure how I feel about it from a morality aspect. It’s just so much information to take in and so much to consider. The process is almost too overwhelming to even think about. I know that God will lead us in the direction he wants us to go but it’s hard not to worry. I don’t want to make the wrong decision. For now, we’re just taking everything in and making sure we don’t make a rushed decision. We want our decision to be in line with God’s will for us.
“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Luke 22:42 (NLT)
Kristen D. Johnson
