Infertility Insurance - Discover How it Works, What it Covers, and Who is Eligible For it
Posted: Tuesday, December 08, 2009
by Riley Andrews
Medical problems are by their very nature unpredictable, and various medical insurances are designed to prepare people to meet these financial challenges. The medical needs of people could also be of a contradictory nature. For example, some may need medical aid for contraception and sterilization while others may need it for fertility enhancement. Fortunately medical insurances span a wide spectrum, and infertility insurance that provides for various types of infertility treatment are available for those who need it.
Since medical science is advancing in leaps and bounds, treatment options for infertility have also increased proportionately over the years. But people simply get cornered when it comes to the question of paying for these treatments, and rightfully so! The average charge of a full IVF cycle could be easily $10,000 or more, because it is rarely that the treatment becomes successful with one sitting. Various tests for the treatment, and necessary medications, can also cost one a pretty sum.
What Infertility Treatments are Typically Covered?The insurance companies that offer other medical insurances typically also offer infertility insurance. Most have different plans and the couple who want a policy should match their needs with their premiums, and the type of treatments they cover. Treatments that are commonly covered are artificial insemination, diagnostic tests, and surgical procedures including laparoscopy.
Typically, treatments covered by the insurance companies are of the basic type and not the advanced and expensive ones (note, only 3% of all infertility treatments fall into the "high cost bracket" and are not covered). There are limitations to the number of cycles covered by different policies, and no company generally covers infertility treatment that involves the use of egg or sperm that is donated.
How Most Infertility Insurance Policies Work
The simplest type of insurance that covers infertility problems is the ordinary health insurance, and involves the payment of a monthly premium to get coverage for fertility related issues. Alternatively, there is also the provision of reimbursing the money spent on certain types of infertility treatment. Here the couple have to pay the treatment cost upfront, and if the woman fails to conceive, more than 70%, or sometimes even the full expenses, will be paid back to them. A third option is taking a loan to cover the costs. If the treatment turns out to be ineffective, the loan needs to be repaid only partially.
Who is Eligible for Coverage
One problem with infertility insurance is that all couples may not be deemed eligible who apply for it. Different insurance companies have different norms for deciding the eligibility but there are certain conditions that all companies stipulate. Firstly, the couple must already have an ordinary medical insurance policy. They have also got to be less than forty years in age, and must be having infertility related problems for at least a minimum of one year up to five years. And they can use the policy only after a year of buying it.
It may not always be easy to satisfy the prerequisites for infertility insurance. Still, the provision can help to a significant extent. Since even the entire gamut of expenses is covered in some cases, the monetary burden is substantially reduced. Those whose attempts to conceive become successful, can look forward to a more financially secure life with their newborn. Even in the case of others, they will not find themselves in financial doldrums by trying to cure infertility.
Riley Andrews is the chief editor of InfertilityAnswersNow.com an information rich site that discusses the latest issues relating to infertility and pregnancy. Here is a free 10-Part Email Mini Course on Infertility Insurance and ideas to detect the Hidden Signs of Infertility and How to Overcome Them.
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