finally got a call back from my dr C's office about my lab results. apparently my glucose came back too high (110), so i'm being sent back to the RE. damn.
i called and made an appt w/ an RE who came highly recommended (w/ results...haha). so, i'm booked for 11/21 @ 10am. they want me to fill out a form so they can check my insurance coverage...bwahahahahahahahaha! ok, not so funny.
fun times, friends. fun times.
Admin Control Panel
New Post | Settings | Edit HTML | Moderate Comments | Sign Out
Showing posts with label insurance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label insurance. Show all posts
insurance be damned!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
today is cd5. i am supposed to start my clomid on cd5. but that is not going to happen. why? because of INSURANCE!
on 09/01, my prescription plan changed carriers. today is 09/03. not only did i not realize this but it also requires a new prior-authorization for the clomid. so, the earliest i'll be able to take the clomid is tomorrow, cd6...and that won't work. it won't freakin' work. dammit.
on 09/01, my prescription plan changed carriers. today is 09/03. not only did i not realize this but it also requires a new prior-authorization for the clomid. so, the earliest i'll be able to take the clomid is tomorrow, cd6...and that won't work. it won't freakin' work. dammit.
***
since most of my friends are teachers, i just wanted to give a huge sHoUt OuT to all you teachers! good luck this year!
insurance debacle...cont'd
Sunday, August 31, 2008
after i figured out that my insurance company doesn't cover much in the realm of infertility, i started doing some more digging around.
what i found only made me even more angry. (as if that were even a possibility)
apparently, texas has a law on the books that mandates insurance companies make available the OPTION for an employer to choose coverage for infertility. so, that means my anger has been misguided, kinda. and now it's directed towards my employer. and for those of you who know who that is...yes, i had a good laugh, too. assholes.
i should point out that we're not even to the point of either IUI or IVF, yet. i mean, once we get the green light (remember, we're on a sabbatical until jan '09), we've decided to do at least 3 months of monitoring and drug therapy. after that, we've discussed IUI w/ injectables. but that's as far as our discussions have gone. or perhaps that's as far as we're allowing our minds to wander. either way, it's still as upsetting knowing that none of this will be covered by anything other than our bank account...dwindle, dwindle.....
what i found only made me even more angry. (as if that were even a possibility)
apparently, texas has a law on the books that mandates insurance companies make available the OPTION for an employer to choose coverage for infertility. so, that means my anger has been misguided, kinda. and now it's directed towards my employer. and for those of you who know who that is...yes, i had a good laugh, too. assholes.
i should point out that we're not even to the point of either IUI or IVF, yet. i mean, once we get the green light (remember, we're on a sabbatical until jan '09), we've decided to do at least 3 months of monitoring and drug therapy. after that, we've discussed IUI w/ injectables. but that's as far as our discussions have gone. or perhaps that's as far as we're allowing our minds to wander. either way, it's still as upsetting knowing that none of this will be covered by anything other than our bank account...dwindle, dwindle.....
***
AF started this week....told ya i wasn't pregnant. i wonder if i'll ever get back to the point of being so excited, i can't hardly wait to POAS? doubtful.
***
completely off-topic but am i the only one who experiences punctuation issues (specifically spacing) with blogger? it's driving me insane!
Labels:
infertility,
insurance,
pregnancy
i'm sorry, what was that?
Saturday, August 23, 2008
*warning: language
part 1
while i was checking out @ my annual, the nurse asked me if i'd like her to call my insurance company & ask what my "infertility care" benefits were. knowing they probably weren't great , i decided why not, i'll spare myself the frustration. right?
wrong.
i received a letter in the mail from my dr's office about a week later. here's a summary:
"...we were told you have limited benefits and are not fully covered for infertility treatment....Excluded services will include IUI's, sperm wash and HCG injections."
it gets better...
"These charges (see above) must be paid at the time of your visit and will be discounted 20%. To assist you in planning, we have enclosed a fee schedule."
forget frustration! i was (am) livid! so, what better thing to do when you are livid and your eyes are popping out of your head but call the insurance company? oh what a lucky day it was for the rep on the other end of the line. this was our conversation:
me: i just got a disturbing letter from my OBGYN's office. i have a couple of questions regarding my "infertility care."
rep: ok. what can i help you with?
me: all of it.
rep: i'm sorry?
me: i want a full explanation as to why you don't cover anything other than the diagnosis of infertility. please explain my coverage, or lack thereof, for fertility drugs and treatment.
rep: well, we do cover the drugs....as long as they're not used directly prior to and to aid an IUI or IVF.
me: what? you'll cover them as long as i don't use them for IUI or IVF?
rep: yes.
me: and why don't you cover IUI or IVF?
wait for it...
rep: because both are considered experimental.
me: you're shitting me?
rep: i'm sorry. what was that?
me: you've got to be SHITTING me!?! ((( EXPERIFUCKINGMENTAL?))) in 1978, the first successful IVF baby was born but IVF history goes back further and even further is when the first IUI was performed (see here). so you tell me? how the hell can IVF and IUI still be classified as "experimental"?
rep: i can't answer that ma'am. but our coverage changes annually; feel free to call back to see if it's been updated. i'm truly sorry ma'am.
me: yea, me too.
********************************
part 2
i've been slowly compiling research on infertility. i've read that 1 in 6 couples are infertile. ONE in SIX. that means there is someone in your life who is infertile. that means this is not an uncommon diagonsis. that means this isn't some obsure condition. what that means is that infertility treatment needs to be mandated and insurance companies need to be forced to offer coverage just like any other medical condition!
shortly after i had that conversation with my insurance company, i was reading Infertility Diaries, a blog on Redbook's website, written by Jen from Maybe If You Just Relax. Jen did a post about the lack of coverage for infertility treatments. Jen is very lucky in that she does have some coverage. Here's an excerpt that thru me for a little loop-de-loop & gave me whiplash:
So imagine my surprise when I get my explanation of benefits...
Total Charges for IVF #1: $14,650
Total Paid by Insurance: $4,750
Total Patient Responsibility: $350
are you reading that correctly? do you see that? do you see that for ME, an infertile without coverage, i would have to pay upwards of 15G's for ONE cycle of IVF. but those motherf'ers...i mean, insurance companies, only have to pay $5K?
oh, yea. i'm bending over alright. assholes.
but being the person that i am, i look to the brighter side of things. i like to think of life as a glass half full...which is why i'm ever-so-thankful that my OBGYN has offered to give me a 20% discount.
@@
to be continued....yes, there's more.
part 1
while i was checking out @ my annual, the nurse asked me if i'd like her to call my insurance company & ask what my "infertility care" benefits were. knowing they probably weren't great , i decided why not, i'll spare myself the frustration. right?
wrong.
i received a letter in the mail from my dr's office about a week later. here's a summary:
"...we were told you have limited benefits and are not fully covered for infertility treatment....Excluded services will include IUI's, sperm wash and HCG injections."
it gets better...
"These charges (see above) must be paid at the time of your visit and will be discounted 20%. To assist you in planning, we have enclosed a fee schedule."
forget frustration! i was (am) livid! so, what better thing to do when you are livid and your eyes are popping out of your head but call the insurance company? oh what a lucky day it was for the rep on the other end of the line. this was our conversation:
me: i just got a disturbing letter from my OBGYN's office. i have a couple of questions regarding my "infertility care."
rep: ok. what can i help you with?
me: all of it.
rep: i'm sorry?
me: i want a full explanation as to why you don't cover anything other than the diagnosis of infertility. please explain my coverage, or lack thereof, for fertility drugs and treatment.
rep: well, we do cover the drugs....as long as they're not used directly prior to and to aid an IUI or IVF.
me: what? you'll cover them as long as i don't use them for IUI or IVF?
rep: yes.
me: and why don't you cover IUI or IVF?
wait for it...
rep: because both are considered experimental.
me: you're shitting me?
rep: i'm sorry. what was that?
me: you've got to be SHITTING me!?! ((( EXPERIFUCKINGMENTAL?))) in 1978, the first successful IVF baby was born but IVF history goes back further and even further is when the first IUI was performed (see here). so you tell me? how the hell can IVF and IUI still be classified as "experimental"?
rep: i can't answer that ma'am. but our coverage changes annually; feel free to call back to see if it's been updated. i'm truly sorry ma'am.
me: yea, me too.
********************************
part 2
i've been slowly compiling research on infertility. i've read that 1 in 6 couples are infertile. ONE in SIX. that means there is someone in your life who is infertile. that means this is not an uncommon diagonsis. that means this isn't some obsure condition. what that means is that infertility treatment needs to be mandated and insurance companies need to be forced to offer coverage just like any other medical condition!
shortly after i had that conversation with my insurance company, i was reading Infertility Diaries, a blog on Redbook's website, written by Jen from Maybe If You Just Relax. Jen did a post about the lack of coverage for infertility treatments. Jen is very lucky in that she does have some coverage. Here's an excerpt that thru me for a little loop-de-loop & gave me whiplash:
So imagine my surprise when I get my explanation of benefits...
Total Charges for IVF #1: $14,650
Total Paid by Insurance: $4,750
Total Patient Responsibility: $350
are you reading that correctly? do you see that? do you see that for ME, an infertile without coverage, i would have to pay upwards of 15G's for ONE cycle of IVF. but those motherf'ers...i mean, insurance companies, only have to pay $5K?
oh, yea. i'm bending over alright. assholes.
but being the person that i am, i look to the brighter side of things. i like to think of life as a glass half full...which is why i'm ever-so-thankful that my OBGYN has offered to give me a 20% discount.
@@
to be continued....yes, there's more.
Labels:
infertile,
infertility,
insurance
mini-update
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
spent the yesterday/night in the ER w/ the captain. some sort of "strange bug". horrible symptoms. poor guy; can't catch a break. he's home recovering.
currently on cd26. no signs of AF...no back pain, no leg pain, no cramping. all of this to say, i'm not expecting to be pregnant....
also got an update regarding my insurance and infertility coverage...post coming. oh yes, you should indeed check back.
going to catch up on some work...will bbl to post more.
currently on cd26. no signs of AF...no back pain, no leg pain, no cramping. all of this to say, i'm not expecting to be pregnant....
also got an update regarding my insurance and infertility coverage...post coming. oh yes, you should indeed check back.
going to catch up on some work...will bbl to post more.
Labels:
infertility,
insurance,
sick
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
