Infertility Treatment and Insurance Coverage in U.S.

The blessing of having a baby in the family comes easily to many however, for some of us it is not so easy. The number of couples having a difficult time having a baby is increasing day by day. As per Center for Disease Control and Prevention infertility affects 1.2 million of the 62 million American women of reproductive age (15-44). Another 5 million women have sought some form of infertility-related treatment. Similar numbers apply to sexually-active adult men.There are various factors to be considered before you finalize that you would be seeking help for your infertility issues. Once you have decided to go ahead with the option of seeking medical help you might as well want to know about its emotional and financial impact. In today's tough economy it is more important than ever to know your options.

What you must know about Infertility diagnosis, treatment and Insurance Coverage for infertility diagnosis and treatment in USA:

1. Insurance coverage varies depending on which State you live in: Certain states in USA mandate coverage for some or all treatment and investigations required for infertility related services. The detailed statement for State Infertility insurance laws can be seen atAmerican Society for Reproductive Medicine website.These states areArkansas, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and West Virginia. Moving to one of these states might seem a good decision financially to some.
2. Even in states mentioned above there are various conditions to be met before you get the coverage : Different states mentioned above have different conditions to be met before the coverage is given. It is important to read these in detail to understand what to expect before going for it.
3. Your Interpretation of coverage might be different than that of your Insurance Provider: It is always a good idea to ask your insurance provider whether a specific procedure is covered or not and get a reply in written before going ahead with it. With insurance companies like United Healthcare which do not have email facility it is important to note down the reference number everytime you discuss coverage. It is also beneficial to note the date and time of your call for future reference or appeal if needed.
4. Contact State's Insurance Commissioner's Office: If after going through all the details available at American Society for Reproductive Medicine and other support groups like Resolve you still have questions you can contact your state's Insurance Commissioner's office if you have a specific question about insurance laws of your state.
5. Seek help from your Doctor and its office: In most cases the infertility treatment providers have a full fledged team. They are experts in this area as they keep dealing with this situation day in and day out. They have full access to the information available on internet and with various insurance providers. They also help you get financial assistance at reasonable rates if opt for it. Ask for as much information as you can from your Doctor's office. It helps save a lot of valuable time.
6. Be aware of the latest news and Insurance Issues related to Infertility Treatment: It is a good idea to know the latest news and Insurance Issues related to infertility treatment. You might be able to take advantage of some recent advancement in this area or from someone else's experience.
7. Some companies offer generous fertility and adoption friendly benefits: July/Aug 2009 issue of conceive magazine lists 50 best companies you might consider working for which in spite of this tough economy offer these benefits. You can get a copy of Conceive Magazine for July/Aug here. Some of them covered lot of infertility treatments including multiple cycles of IVF.
8. Magazines and Websites provide useful information: There are various magazines and websites which provide useful information about cost of various Infertility treatments and where to get the cheapest medicines, various non profit organizations etc. You might have to keep looking in the archival as well. For more info go to www.conceiveonline.com .The magazine has 6 issues every year from 2009. Some useful resources are mentioned at the end of this article.
9. Support Groups and Discussion Forums: Some really useful support groups like Resolve offer a lot of information for a nominal membership fee as compared to the price of treatment. They also help you get some financial assistance if needed in terms of where and how to get the loan. The possible options. They also have some local chapters or sessions where people with similar situation share their experiences.
10. Rough estimation of cost involved: For an idea the cost involved in infertility treatment can range from few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollar. Depending on what is the issue with your fertility the cost of treatment can vary from few hundred dollars (if only medication is required and that too if you are lucky enough to have the diagnosis in the early stage and successful pregnancy with that) to thousands of dollars if trying insemination. One cycle of IVF costs about $10,000 to $15,000 and more depending on how far it is from your house and so on to about $100,000 for doctor visits, tests, procedures, egg donors, surrogates or even adoption. Refer the book Budgeting for Infertility by Evelina W Sterling and Angie Best- Bossfor more accurate details and also consult your doctor for itemised detail before the diagnosis and treatment starts.
11. Consider other English speaking countries for high quality Healthcare facility at fraction of the cost: Some couples from USA are going to English speaking countries like India, China, Thailand, and Russia. Here they get high quality health care and infertility treatment related services at fraction of the price. One of the famous clinics in India Mumbai is Malpani Fertiltiy Clinic, Mumbai. More information on http://www.drmalpani.com . There are various reliable agencies which take care of visa, your stay and even co-ordination with healthcare providers for your specific need.
12. Adoption: Considering adoption in USA is also a very long and costly process. Recently most couples are considering adoption from other countries like China, India, Korea as it seems that is a less costlier and quicker way to have a family. Discovery Health TV Channel keeps showing Adoption stories from various countries.

    Insurance coverage for infertility treatment should be a couple's right but, unfortunately it seems it is not. Most of the times the biggest investment for the child is the one to bring the child in this world. Sometimes even after spending a substantial amount of one's life's savings with no result at all. Knowledge about various options available helps to take informed decisions which are best for the couple's present and future too. Do whatever seems to give you best chance of becoming a parent whether it is moving to another state or to change your employer , your insurance company or going to another country for treatment or may be simply adoption.

    Having a family is everyone's right and one can become a parent if one is determined to be one, it is just about choosing the best possible way that suits one's needs and situation.