Anonymous wrote:Has anyone found a 2017 FEHB plan that covers IVF?

There may very well not be any. Let's say there is one plan that offers coverage. Everyone and anyone who thinks they need IVF will go to that plan and that plan will incur tremendous expenses that make the coverage not financially viable.

Unfortunately, unless the care is mandated or there is otherwise a way to get a critical mass of plans to offer coverage, it becomes nearly impossible for an isolated plan or two offer coverage in a cost effective way.

Has anyone found a 2017 FEHB plan that covers IVF?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:my husband and I just started on our journey at SGF only to hear from them that the Fed gov't dropped the infertility treatment option for 2017, so Kaiser will no longer cover treatments. really sucks bc we hadn't planned for that, so looks like we are going to have to postpone our treatment until we save up more money. really really sucks to have to pay for insurance and the ONE time you need it, it fails you. unfortunately, we are not one of those couples that just has $20k laying around.

Get on a payment plan or take out a loan.

This is rather insensitive. They don't offer payment plans and loans can be hard to get depending on your circumstances.

Anonymous wrote:can anyone tell me approximately how much they pay for the ivf meds with Kaiser??

Because meds count towards the out-of-pocket maximum, the most you'll ever pay under the High Plan is $2500, regardless of how much the meds cost. I paid a total of $2500 for my IVF cycle this year (including the procedure and meds) and have never paid another single dime.

However, for next year, Kaiser is not covering IVF. Only IUIs and diagnostics.

The problem is, no matter what you feel is fair or right, the coverage is unsustainable in part because people don't stay with those plans.

So with MDIPA, people would sign up JUST for the year they were planning to do IFV, and then drop it the next year for Blue Cross/Blue Shield. So MDIPA was jacking up the premiums every year to cover the costs.

You can't have it both ways. I truly feel a lot of people exploited the plans that had IVF coverage and then ditched them for plans with lower premiums after they were done with IVF. It made the premiums for MDIPA very high for those of us who stayed with that plan.

I don't think the coverage would have been dropped if more people stayed with those plans even after the IVF. But it was unsustainable for those plans to continue to operate that way.

can anyone tell me approximately how much they pay for the ivf meds with Kaiser??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:my husband and I just started on our journey at SGF only to hear from them that the Fed gov't dropped the infertility treatment option for 2017, so Kaiser will no longer cover treatments. really sucks bc we hadn't planned for that, so looks like we are going to have to postpone our treatment until we save up more money. really really sucks to have to pay for insurance and the ONE time you need it, it fails you. unfortunately, we are not one of those couples that just has $20k laying around.

You should be able to receive financial assistance if you don't make enough money. If you make too much money for IVF then this means you're spending too much in other areas and will need to adjust anyway before having kids.

Sorry... What?

Oh ok, i thought it was just me..... the blanket assumption that if I cant afford IVF then i cant afford kids is absurd, insensitive and rude. Not that I owe anyone an explanation, but the point of my post was to speak on the UNEXPECTED loss of insurance coverage. I pay a great deal for insurance and chose my insurance based on the fact that it covered IVF. My husband and I are relatively healthy, so the one time where were actually need the coverage that we pay for and it doesn't work for us is sad. i certainly dont know what you mean by if you make too much for assistance and still cant afford IVF, then I am spending too much in other areas. you dont know my life or frankly how i spend my money. however, IMO the average person doesnt just have $20k to say ok, here ya go. & if you do, then kudos to you.

That poster seems to be trolling all the threads. Ignore them.

re: Financial assistance, I believe Shady Grove has a discount program if your HHI is <$90k. Or at least they did when I started there a couple years ago.

Like many here I am losing my coverage and am rushing to do as much as possible this calendar year. It really sucks. I wish you good luck.

This change has been so unfortunate and I truly feel for all of you who have been waiting and planning on doing IVF. We benefited from the good old MDIPA days with #1 (had two IVFs fully covered). I took 3 months off between the first failed cycle and the second cycle. Unfortunately, one did not have the luxury to do that this year as no one knew this was coming (one never does). I would say that as soon as there was a rumor of this coming on these threads, I jumped on it and told a friend who was able to change her plans in order to get another cycle in. There were many posts from folks claiming it was rumors and telling people to stop spreading them, but guess what, the two people I knew who called to confirm the "rumor" got a response in the affirmative from either SGFC or their health care organization. If you can get a cycle in please do so by any means necessary. SGFC shuts down their labs for a week each year so they have a cutoff after which they won't start any new cycles. Timing is tight but if you weren't planning on ivf until next year but can push it forward do so immediately!!!!!! Time was never on any of our sides since one had to deal with infertility to begin with, however now it most definitely isn't given all federal plans pulling out of the infertility coverage business. try to get your meds refilled, get all of your diagnostic work-ups done, etc. Essentially work the remaining few weeks of coverage to the very best of your ability.

Best of luck to everyone having to walk this heart-wrenching journey!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:my husband and I just started on our journey at SGF only to hear from them that the Fed gov't dropped the infertility treatment option for 2017, so Kaiser will no longer cover treatments. really sucks bc we hadn't planned for that, so looks like we are going to have to postpone our treatment until we save up more money. really really sucks to have to pay for insurance and the ONE time you need it, it fails you. unfortunately, we are not one of those couples that just has $20k laying around.

You should be able to receive financial assistance if you don't make enough money. If you make too much money for IVF then this means you're spending too much in other areas and will need to adjust anyway before having kids.

Sorry... What?

Oh ok, i thought it was just me..... the blanket assumption that if I cant afford IVF then i cant afford kids is absurd, insensitive and rude. Not that I owe anyone an explanation, but the point of my post was to speak on the UNEXPECTED loss of insurance coverage. I pay a great deal for insurance and chose my insurance based on the fact that it covered IVF. My husband and I are relatively healthy, so the one time where were actually need the coverage that we pay for and it doesn't work for us is sad. i certainly dont know what you mean by if you make too much for assistance and still cant afford IVF, then I am spending too much in other areas. you dont know my life or frankly how i spend my money. however, IMO the average person doesnt just have $20k to say ok, here ya go. & if you do, then kudos to you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:my husband and I just started on our journey at SGF only to hear from them that the Fed gov't dropped the infertility treatment option for 2017, so Kaiser will no longer cover treatments. really sucks bc we hadn't planned for that, so looks like we are going to have to postpone our treatment until we save up more money. really really sucks to have to pay for insurance and the ONE time you need it, it fails you. unfortunately, we are not one of those couples that just has $20k laying around.

Waiting for the "you can't afford kids if you can't afford IVF" poster to arrive.

I already posted on the previous page.

Anonymous wrote:my husband and I just started on our journey at SGF only to hear from them that the Fed gov't dropped the infertility treatment option for 2017, so Kaiser will no longer cover treatments. really sucks bc we hadn't planned for that, so looks like we are going to have to postpone our treatment until we save up more money. really really sucks to have to pay for insurance and the ONE time you need it, it fails you. unfortunately, we are not one of those couples that just has $20k laying around.

Waiting for the "you can't afford kids if you can't afford IVF" poster to arrive.

Anonymous wrote:my husband and I just started on our journey at SGF only to hear from them that the Fed gov't dropped the infertility treatment option for 2017, so Kaiser will no longer cover treatments. really sucks bc we hadn't planned for that, so looks like we are going to have to postpone our treatment until we save up more money. really really sucks to have to pay for insurance and the ONE time you need it, it fails you. unfortunately, we are not one of those couples that just has $20k laying around.

Are you eligible for shared risk?
Also, Shady Grove partners with a company that offers loans for IVF.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:my husband and I just started on our journey at SGF only to hear from them that the Fed gov't dropped the infertility treatment option for 2017, so Kaiser will no longer cover treatments. really sucks bc we hadn't planned for that, so looks like we are going to have to postpone our treatment until we save up more money. really really sucks to have to pay for insurance and the ONE time you need it, it fails you. unfortunately, we are not one of those couples that just has $20k laying around.

You should be able to receive financial assistance if you don't make enough money. If you make too much money for IVF then this means you're spending too much in other areas and will need to adjust anyway before having kids.

Sorry... What?

Anonymous wrote:my husband and I just started on our journey at SGF only to hear from them that the Fed gov't dropped the infertility treatment option for 2017, so Kaiser will no longer cover treatments. really sucks bc we hadn't planned for that, so looks like we are going to have to postpone our treatment until we save up more money. really really sucks to have to pay for insurance and the ONE time you need it, it fails you. unfortunately, we are not one of those couples that just has $20k laying around.

You should be able to receive financial assistance if you don't make enough money. If you make too much money for IVF then this means you're spending too much in other areas and will need to adjust anyway before having kids.