PP here. I forgot - my 2nd FET was also a BFN, which is why I'm now on the 3rd IVF which is paid for by MDIPA.

OP - in answer to your question, yes, I think both I (17:34) and the other poster at 11:18 are recommending that you pay out of pocket for FETs and use MDIPA for fresh IVF cycles.

MDIPA policy is that you get three cycles TOTAL. For me, and for many women, you get more eggs out of a fresh cycle that you can transfer. So, I did my first fresh IVF (paid for by MDIPA) - BFN, then an FET (out-of-pocket) - BFN, 2nd fresh IVF (MDIPA) - BFP then m/c, 2nd FET (out-of-pocket) and now I'm on my third fresh IVF. If I hadn't paid for those FETs myself, I would have had to pay for everything after the 2nd fresh IVF. Because IVFs are so much more expensive, I would have paid more.

As I said, it's a gamble, but one that worked for me (unfortunately).

Does that make more sense?

Anonymous wrote:Wait I'm confused....you're saying I should only use MDIPA for IVF fresh cycle b/c it costs more and go out of pocket on my FETs b/c they cost less and b/c MDIPA counts the 3 cycles toward either one? I think I understand. And when they say 3 cycles per live birth, does that mean if you have a live birth then you can do it again for another 3 cycles for a lifetime max of 6?

You can keep doing 3 cycles per life birth with no lifetime max. You just have to deliver a live child every 3 cycles.

Wait I'm confused....you're saying I should only use MDIPA for IVF fresh cycle b/c it costs more and go out of pocket on my FETs b/c they cost less and b/c MDIPA counts the 3 cycles toward either one? I think I understand. And when they say 3 cycles per live birth, does that mean if you have a live birth then you can do it again for another 3 cycles for a lifetime max of 6?

Amen to PP - that's what we did. We made sure insurance paid for our fresh cycles and paid out of pocket for our FETs. It was a gamble that unfortunately has paid off for us - we're currently doing our third fresh cycle (we've also done 2 FETs).

I would note though that you HAVE to tell your doctor's financial office EARLY and OFTEN that you want to go that route - they almost submitted a claim for my first FET and I had to get them to go back and "un-submit" it, which was a huge pain, especially given that my doctor's financial office was a mess.

MDIPA covers 3 cycles, whether fresh or frozen. So you could use a cycle to do a FET, but unless you already have embryos lying around, it would be more cost effective to use your rounds for a fresh cycle.

I am looking at the changes for 2013 for the federal employee MD IPA plan and it looks like it does not cover FETs. It says it does not cover "embryo transplant" -- which I am assuming means FETs. Thoughts?