Insurance Coverage and Fertility Treatments -- Fight For Your Right To Insurance Coverage!
Health insurance companies don’t always cover fertility treatments or IVF, but that shouldn’t keep you from looking into the possibility. In fact, did you know that some states require insurance companies to cover certain fertility treatments and testing? In other states, the law doesn’t require insurance companies to cover treatment, but they must state explicitly in the policy if they don’t.
New York is one of those states, and recently, the insurance company HealthNow was fined $1 million dollars for failing to state in their policy that they don't cover fertility treatments, yet refusing to pay. Trisha Torrey, About.com Guide to Patient Empowerment, wrote on this story in her blog. Go on over to her site to read the story: Denial of Coverage, One Complaint, 2500+ Families Benefit.
Some people mistakenly assume that they’d be told if their health insurance covered treatments or testing. The ugly truth? Your health insurance probably doesn’t want you to know. This is why I suggest reading through your insurance policy carefully. Yes, every last line of that legalese. It’s worth the search! You may discover that you’re covered.
Plus, as with the story above, your state may require health insurance companies to either cover fertility treatment or at least state explicitly in their policies if they don’t. Worth looking into, when you consider how expensive fertility treatments can be.
Looking for more advice? Be sure to check out this article with tips on affording fertility treatments.
Comments
How can i find out if my state is one of these states?
Well written article.
Why should ANY insurer have to pay for something that is elective (i.e. pregnancy/starting a family)? Nobody dies from not getting to reproduce. Health insurance is for illness and injury, not the fulfillment of selfish urges.
for the person that commented about getting pregnant is selfish you are a piece of garbage because you know what I have been trying to get pregnant for four years now and I don’t believe that I am being selfish!!!!! For wanting to have a family you are more than likely one of those skanks that just lie down with anyone and is living off the state to support your kids
I cannot believe that comment that having a baby is selfish, you should be ashamed. Being infertile is an illness and should be treated like one.