Let’s talk about the insane amount of money we need to slap down for infertility treatments. Many of us who have to go through infertility do not have health insurance that covers treatment and that just sucks.
Even worse than not having coverage is not knowing you have coverage!
I think that sometimes we wrongly assume that, our insurance isn’t going to cover infertility and I’m here to tell you that you may be wrong. More than likely, insurance will cover some part of your treatment. Like everything in life, be the person who investigates and makes sure that they have all the information. Always advocate for your own health. The first thing you need to do is call the insurance company, and find out exactly what is covered. Most times, at the very least, you are covered for blood work and diagnostic testing and in some cases also the medications. Do not skip this step just because you think or know that you don’t have IVF coverage! Medications alone can cost upwards of $5,000.
The highest cost is going to be the actual treatment and the costs will vary depending on how detailed the process is. So for instance, an IUI could cost a couple thousand dollars because there are less steps and IVF can cost upwards of $10,000 – $20,000 depending on the steps you go through. The hope is that you get a lot of good quality eggs out of it. Some things that can bring the cost of IVF up are genetic testing, ICSI and freezing un-used embryos. Spending this kind of money is enough to drive you crazy and it is certainly a cause for tension in your marriage.
I understand the kind of stress this causes. At one point I would’ve done anything just to be able to come up with the money for another round of treatments. I totally get it because there’s no way to describe that when your body does not do what it’s supposed to do by nature and what you so deeply want in your heart….. to get a positive pregnancy test. It’s very harrowing to think about how you’re going to afford it and not everybody has a rich uncle or rich parents (myself included). Sometimes, there has to be a little bit of creative thinking when it comes to paying for these procedures.
Here are a bunch of ideas to get you started:
- Do you have a credit card that has no interest payments for a year or more?
- Do you have somebody that you can borrow the money from?
- Can you share a cycle with somebody?
- I know this may not be ideal or the best choice for everybody but I do feel the need to mention this. I do know centers that will allow you to share your eggs with somebody else and in turn get your cycle for either a big discount or for free.
- Have you researched getting a medical loan?
- Have you researched fertility grants?
Going through infertility means a lot of stress. The stress of all the hormones on your body driving you physically crazy and the stress of the financial end of it. It is not easy! Now that’s not to say that being pregnant is a breeze for everyone no matter how you got pregnant. A friend would always say that everyone has something when it comes to pregnancy, whether it’s getting pregnant or your pregnancy or postpartum, everybody has something.
I’m here for support and I want you to understand that you’re not alone!
