https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 02 May 2026 20:48:30 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1389300 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 22:50:07 +0000 SweetiePie 1389300@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have United Healthcare. Our particular plan covers diagnostic testing and medication (pills, injectables, etc). But they cover "nothing that will actually result in a pregnancy". Their exact words.<br /> So we've paid everything for IVF out of pocket. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1389219 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 21:51:35 +0000 Mrs. Pinata 1389219@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have never had any insurance coverage for IF. I think that technically my previous insurance "covered" diagnostics, but I had a high-deductible health plan, so it all just went toward the $4,000 deductible. </p> <p>I think that sounds really exciting to have a 30K raise! Over the course of your life that's A LOT! :-) Congrats! And good luck on getting switched over. Insurance stuff is such a PITA. Ugh. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1388804 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 18:00:05 +0000 CatchAFallingStar 1388804@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you have infertility coverage? Yes</p> <p>If so, what is covered? Up to $3,000 per calendar year for IUI, IVF (yeah right, like that would cover it), and other assisted reproductive technology. I'm also covered for all meds (including injectable), ultrasounds and most blood work through my regular insurance plan. </p> <p>Insurance carrier? Aetna </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1387704 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 12:27:13 +0000 mrs bunchy 1387704@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well ladies.. We took the leap. New job starts Mondy for DH. It has been a roller coaster of emotions, but I think the new path will lead us to where we want to be. Lucky me- I called bcbs to get a termination letter so I can get on board with my insurance, and they said it can take a week for that letter, because it stays active until midnight the day you quit. (Today). Well, without that letter I cannot get insurance from my company. Let me remind you.. Cycle day 21 progesterone draw is Monday!! Yay!! No insurance!! Best thing though- I work in an office and can have one of my docs order the draw for me and pay cost :) thank you Jesus!!! </p> <p>So in the end, everything works out I suppose! Since the results will come to my work.. I will get a sneak peak before I fax them to my dr!! :D </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1385356 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 16:47:14 +0000 justdarling 1385356@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know just a little bit about this kind of stuff. A HSA is a health savings account. It can only be used for health expenses. A FSA is a little different and has some different rules to it but basically you can have a health FSA which is also only used for health expenses. There are also different kinds of FSA like one for dependent coverage (this can be used for child care). both of these are pre-tax benefits. Your company can offer just one kind of FSA or multiple kinds of them. They are a separate benefit from your health plans and not provided through an insurance company. There are caps on the amount that you can put into both a HSA and a FSA. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1385221 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 16:11:34 +0000 Shutterbug 1385221@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs bunchy: I'm no expert (at all!) but at my work it's a separate benefit, not provided by my insurance company, but by another company... Sentinel Benefits I think? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1385211 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 16:08:06 +0000 mrs bunchy 1385211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Shutterbug: I thought u could only get FSA/HSA with HMO coverage? I must know nothing about this insurance stuff :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1385141 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 15:48:26 +0000 Shutterbug 1385141@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Happygal: no clue! haha sorry, I'm no help. I think an FSA can be used for dependent care, or transportation costs as well (if your company offers that). I noticed those were options when I signed up, though not through my company's plan. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1385091 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 15:34:26 +0000 Happygal 1385091@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Shutterbug: I could google this, but I'm feeling a little lazy. What's the difference between a FSA and HSA? Can an FSA be used for both medical purposes and other things? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1385077 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 15:31:26 +0000 Shutterbug 1385077@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs bunchy: @Happygal: FSA is a flexible spending account... pre-tax $ to spend on healthcare costs. I enrolled in mine at work for the first time this year! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1384875 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 14:40:01 +0000 Happygal 1384875@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs bunchy: drive time and flexibility with scheduling is huge!<br /> And maybe @bhbee: meant an HSA, health savings account? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1384844 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 14:34:04 +0000 mrs bunchy 1384844@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Happygal: my husband likes the company he is with now.. Mainly because of drive time and scheduling. He is able to take my days off and leave early without question. I have not done IUI- that will be our question after this cycle with the dr. </p> <p>@bhbee: what's this fsa ?? I have never heard of it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1383640 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 09:59:13 +0000 bhbee 1383640@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Shutterbug: woohoo MA! when we first lived here we had to use my insurance (from a NY based firm) and it was crap for infertility. then my husband got a new job (MA based) that got us Tufts so now we have the same coverage you mentioned - 6 lifetime IVF cycles and everything before that is covered (after our $500 deductible). I've been paying about $80/mo for meds (ovidrel/progesterone/clomid). I'm pretty sure we owe the deductible from our Jan IUI and then we'll just have copays going forward. I consider myself very, very lucky.</p> <p>For the job - 30k is a huge bump over the lifetime of your career. I don't know if he thinks he could get that kind of bump if he continues to look for another option, but that adds up to a huge benefit over the years (because the next job usually gets you another bump on top of that higher base). Maybe you can max out an FSA to help defray the higher insurance costs (ie get a tax benefit?) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1383612 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 09:53:51 +0000 spaniellove 1383612@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Happygal: It's so weird what they call their coverage and how much it varies! Our plan says it doesn't cover infertility, yet they've actually covered almost everything. $-wise we have had to pay a lot OOP for traditional stuff but there is a lot of testing (like karyotyping and RPL) that we couldn't have done without the coverage, and I don't think I could have done my clinic's intense every other day monitoring for months...and that was the key to figuring out my crazy situation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1383520 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 09:37:21 +0000 Happygal 1383520@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs bunchy: options are a good thing! Without the insurance question, where would your husband prefer to work? I know the job position is the same, but do the companies differ in other ways? Like @spaniellove: asked, is the coverage for Chrohns better with the old or possible new job?</p> <p>I went back and looked at the history and diagnosis thread--you haven't done an IUI yet, right? It could be that drugs+IUI will do the trick for you first time! It's a gamble.</p> <p>Oh, insurance covers nada for me. Just "family planning." I was surprised at just how much that ended up covering for us! When I started on injectables, that raised the flag I was getting fertility treatments with my insurance, and everything is now out of pocket. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1381710 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:32:31 +0000 PurplePumps 1381710@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Shutterbug: Wow, that's amazing coverage.<br /> I'm in MA too. We have United and have a $7500 lifetime limit for medical services and $7500 for drugs related to fertility services.</p> <p>I would definitely take a job that paid 30k more! That more than makes up for the 15k IVF lifetime limit! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1381693 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:27:30 +0000 spaniellove 1381693@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs bunchy: How would the new insurance be with his Chrohns? I have several chronic health issues and that was a factor in our insurance debate too. In our case the old policy had no deductible while it was close to $10k with the new one so I guess it wasn't that tough of a decision. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1381690 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:26:38 +0000 Shutterbug 1381690@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs bunchy: I'm incredibly lucky to live in one of the states with IVF coverage mandates (Massachusetts)... especially because I've already taken advantage of nearly everything on that list, other than embryo storage and FET! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1381686 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:25:00 +0000 mrs bunchy 1381686@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Shutterbug: dang. That sounds amazing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1381682 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:23:31 +0000 Shutterbug 1381682@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have BCBS, and our IF coverage is 100% of all 'low tech' fertility treatments (IUIs, FETs) and all labs/ultrasounds/dr appointments, medications etc (just pay co-pays for office visits and Rx). It also covers 6 fresh IVF cycles in my lifetime, and a year of embryo storage for each fresh cycle. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1381660 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:19:13 +0000 mrs bunchy 1381660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs.Someone: yeah, big interest is obviously the $, and the fact this is a new and coming company. He likes the idea of being a pioneer. He and my dad do the same thing... :D took my dad 30+ years to make what DH would make at the new gig... And DH is only 29. It's crazy to take this leap.. But we're still young and reckless right? At least it's a hard decision about this.. And not anything negative..<br /> Options... Options... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1381650 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:16:32 +0000 spaniellove 1381650@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have an HMO through BC and our plan offers infertility coverage even though the plan is not in a mandated state. Injectible fertility meds and IVF are not covered but everything else is, like IUI, oral meds, progesterone, etc. Testing is also covered 100%. There's no limit, and I know for sure that they've paid at least $30k over the past year as well as the $30k we've paid out of pocket. </p> <p>Are there any other differences in the policy? We faced a similar situation several months ago when DH was offered a job with more pay but a very different insurance policy. He negotiated an additional pay increase to cover the deductible, but we still worried that the pay increase could be wiped out by the cost of IF treatments. He ended up not taking the job and got his current employer to match the pay increase, which turned out to be the right decision for us because the cost of the testing and treatments that our insurance has covered since then was much more than that pay increase. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1381645 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:15:27 +0000 Mrs.Someone 1381645@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs bunchy: Well, if he isn't any more interested in the new job, then it sounds like sticking with the current one is less hassle. Switching insurance is a PITA :) Just this past week I had a lab bill my old insurance, even though its been a few years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1381635 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:13:10 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 1381635@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have any coverage for treatments. All testing and diagnostic stuff is covered. I have BCBS. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1381627 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:11:02 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1381627@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have UPMC, federal health benefits. My infertility rider covers diagnostic testing and IUIs. </p> <p>We pay a deductible then coinsurance for all testing, procedures, ultrasound, bloodwork etc. there is no lifetime max on the benefits.</p> <p>IVF is not covered. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1381619 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:09:13 +0000 mrs bunchy 1381619@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs.Someone: Honestly, the job is exactly the same only with another company. It's hard not to look at the $ aspect, but insurance has also played a huge role, because DH has a chronic condition that is costly with meds... (Crohns). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1381585 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:02:09 +0000 justdarling 1381585@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have IF coverage. But, my insurance does cover all testing and diagnostics. It also covers some of the IUI meds. I didn't cover any injectibles, but it did cover chlomid, femara, progesterone and a few others. It also covered 50% of my IUIs. It's not much, but every little bit helps. </p> <p>I would really look into the new insurance plan and figure out exactly what it would cover. I was told that mine did not cover IF at all which was not totally accurate. We did have to pay for IVF out of pocket which is expensive. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1381581 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:01:46 +0000 Mrs.Someone 1381581@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have similar coverage to what you have now, $15k/each. I think it includes 6 IUIs on top of that, but we never got far enough to really figure it out. Everything I needed was covered, but we never had any procedure more complicated than an HSG. And its not required coverage in my state (WA).</p> <p>As for your job decisions, I think you should make it based on what is best for your careers, not your insurance coverage. The higher salary will help, though not 1:1 because of taxes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1381547 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 12:56:19 +0000 BSB 1381547@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I get coverage for IF testing and hormone therapy for 3 months. Which I don't know what that covers... Is it the meds? Or something else.</p> <p>Other than that, all out of pocket for me. Oh, prescription pills like femera was covered but not injectables.</p> <p>I live in Seattle and it doesn't require IF coverage. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-insurance-coverage#post-1381529 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 12:52:32 +0000 mrs bunchy 1381529@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you have infertility coverage?<br /> If so, what is covered?<br /> What $ amount is covered?<br /> Insurance carrier?</p> <p>Currently DH and I have BCBS and are offered $15k per person per lifetime. We have not tapped into it yet, because we were saving it up for more expensive interventions (IVF/IUI). Well, he just got a job offer for another company; and low and behold they do not offer IF coverage, but still the same carrier. We have been really torn about it, but this new job is offering him 30k more a year. Do you think that would balance this all out? He has a meeting hopefully this week to sign papers, but is has been a huge back and forth..</p> <p>Oh, and also- we wouldn't be covered for 60 days under his new insurance policy, so we would have to get it through my job; also doesn't cover IF... And is 3x more than DH pays biweekly. At least that would only be temporary... </p>