Supplamental insurance?

[amylyn252]

Just curious to see if any of you have found a supplamental insurance company that you have gone through for fertility treatments since your insurance company won't cover it?  We met with the doctors a couple of weeks ago about doing IVF. Going into this we were under the impression that my insurance company covered IVF. When I called my insurance company they told me that I was covered. So we meet with the doctors to find out we are NOT covered.  I have a $15,000 infertility maximum, but that only covers testing, not treatments, which is was IVF is coded as.  My husband's insurance has no coverage at all.  I do work in Illinois, where in Illinois, it's a state law to cover IVF. But my insurance is Blue Cross of Iowa.  My home office of where I work is based in Iowa.  So I was just curious to see if any of you have found a supplamental insurance company that you have gone through that covers IVF?  It might be worth getting that insurance and paying the higher premium if it's going to cover IVF. Thanks ladies!

[Betsta]

My work insurance did cover IVF, with a 24k lifetime cap (insurance plan is out of NY).  My DH's insurance did not cover IVF at all, just a diagnosis.  Once we depleted our 24k, DH and I purchased secondary insurance.  I live in Massachusetts and it is also the law to cover IVF.  This has allowed us to continue with our IVF treatments, which has been a blessing!  You should talk to your clinic and ask them which insurance works the best for the clinic and go purchase it, again, as a secondary insurance.  We plan on dropping the secondary plan when we become pregnant, God willing!  Good luck!

[YvetteY]

If you live in Illinois you should get the state mandated coverage, even if your insurance is based out of Iowa.  The laws pertain to your state and where you live.    However, here's what your problem with your insurance could be....if for some reason your insurance is "SELF FUNDED"....they make up their own rules and don't have to follow state mandated laws.  I believe BCBS has many employer groups that are self funded.  

So if for some reason your insurance isn't self funded, then you have some room to fight and argue with the plan.   Tell them its a state mandated law and that you are entitled to the coverage, regardless of the benefit plan.   If you get no where...write to your state's department of insurance.    Good luck!

By the way there is no supplemental coverage you could buy that would cover IVF or infertility treatments. No such thing.  Insurance is a risk and they make money when you don't use it.   Obviously someone seeking insruance coverage for infertility treatment will be using it.   They'd lose money.   Insurance is there out of the goodness of anyone's heart.   They don't want you to use your benefits.

[amylyn252]

Thank you ladies. I am going to call my doctors office and see what they can do for me and have it sent through to insurance as testing. If I have $15,000 for testing, I might as well use it, right?

Yvette Y - thank you. I know I've read where Illinois it is mandatory to cover infertility treatments. I just wasn't sure how it worked since my insurance was based out of Iowa. That is something I am going to have to do more research on and see if I can't get anywhere with that.  
Thanks again ladies!