insurance and donor eggs

I have a feeling the answer is no, but does anyone know if insurance cover infertility, if it also cover egg donors? Not necessarily the cost of the egg itself but all the other stuff?
Just doing a little research...we are switching insurance in Dec to insurance that covers infertility. I know all insurance is a bit different but I"m wondering if anyone has heard of insurance paying for a donor egg cycle?

[usuk]

Not that I know of. Every state and every company is different. I work in new York and not even ivf with my own eggs is covered. But I think if your company is based in new jersey and has over a certain number of employees they do cover ivf. Do your homework and good luck.

[Sherri90049]

If you are in a large group (over 50 members), insurance frequently does cover infertility up to respectable amounts like $10,000.00. My small group (2-50 members) offers me a whopping $2,000.00 infertility benefit. (You have to check with the insurance company, but if you're using a egg donor, the costs of her medications and procedures including egg retrieval may very well be covered, but the egg donor fees are separate, not covered, and are usually enormously expensive.)

But I will say this, there is an added benefit to having insurance that I only recently became aware of. My measly $2,000.00 benefit works out to be a little more than that (for an IVF cycle). For example, my RE charges $8,000.00 for IVF (medications are separate). Since he is contracted with my insurance company, he is required to accept a lower amount for his fees. So it should come out to roughly $4,000.00 instead of $8,000.00. Then I can apply my benefit amount of $2,000.00 to that, and be left with only having to pay the dr $2,000.00 out of my pocket. Not bad! I'd rather have a $10,000 benefit in case I need to do more than one cycle, but it's much better than nothing!

Good luck! That's great you're going to be able to get infertility coverage! SO many women don't have any at all!

[mhv]

My insurance will cover testing, but that's it.  Nothing else.   I have really really screwy insurance... and I work for a Huge Hosptial network... It's actually ranke
in the top 100 places to work in the United States... and still NO fertility coverage!!!!!
I know when you use donor eggs (because I am) you have to pay for "insurance" for the donor.  I think we paid like 500-800.00 for our donor's insurance.  

[nshapland]

My current insurance pays for all testing but no treatment. And they consider testing during a treatment cycle to be treatment.  We are switching to my husband's insurance in November and it covers $30,000 infertility (if only I had known this when opting for COBRA when my job ended). Anyway, I will have to check to see what exactly they cover.
Good luck to everyone!!

[Sherri90049]

Wow! That's awesome! That's the highest amount I have ever heard of! :)

[nshapland]

I know. My husband is ready to strangle me for not reading the policies more closely when I had to choose.  Unfortunately, at my age I can't wait until Dec 1 to start IVF so we are starting now and paying out of pocket. But if things don't work, at least we'll have coverage on Dec 1st.

[Kricket212]

My husband has Cigna & he has $30,000 benefit.  My job thru GHI covers three IVF cycles & unlimited IUI...I am very lucky & will do my final IVF in sept.  After that we will have to pay out of pocket.  We do have $6,000 left under the cigna plan though, no donor eggs covered. :-(

[nshapland]

does it cover the process of egg donation (e.g., medications for the donor and the person trying to get pregnant, the retrieval and transfer, etc) and just not cover the eggs themselves? Or does it not cover anything to do w/ a donor?

[mysty2001]

DOnor embryos are a terrific option
You would be saving lives and saving money
You also would not be creating lives that will not be allowed to thrive!
Good Luck

[nshapland]

I would consider it but my husband has NO interest in donor embryos or adoption. He wants the child to be tied to him biologically.

[nshapland]

Also, b/c I"m 40 I don't think there will be any left over eggs (so we wouldn't be creating lives that won't be allowed to thrive). Although if we did, I'd prob donate them