| Getting pregnant and having a baby naturally is | | | | A separate plan for insurance for infertility will cover |
| expensive enough, but if you are struggling with | | | | different types of treatments, so look at several |
| infertility, you also need to worry about paying for | | | | plans to decide which route you want to take. Also, |
| major procedures like IUI and IVF. Because these | | | | most insurers will either set a dollar limit or will only |
| procedures are so expensive, many couples are | | | | pay for a certain number of rounds of each type of |
| turning to infertility insurance for help in financing their | | | | treatment. Be sure, too, to see if your preferred |
| journey toward having a baby. There are different | | | | insurance plan also covers medications, tests, and |
| types of insurance for infertility, and they cover | | | | other things that may go along with infertility |
| different things, so you need to know all you can | | | | treatments. |
| about this kind of insurance before you sign up for | | | | Who it Covers |
| any programs. | | | | One major problem with insurance for infertility - as |
| Types of Insurance | | | | well as things like shared-risk plans - is that only |
| There are several ways to finance your infertility | | | | women up to a certain age are normally covered. |
| treatments, but only one way that is commonly used | | | | Because infertile women over the age of forty are |
| could be considered actual insurance. You can, for | | | | much less likely to become pregnant, many insurance |
| instance, finance the treatments through your clinic, | | | | carriers will not cover these women with infertility |
| on a credit card, or through a loan from a third-party | | | | insurance. This is not to say that there is no chance |
| company, or you can participate in a shared-risk | | | | you can get pregnant if you are over forty, but |
| program, which many clinics are now offering; these | | | | insurance companies are in the business of assessing |
| programs basically guarantee you a refund if you | | | | risk, and women in this age group with infertility |
| don't get pregnant after a certain number of | | | | issues are simply considered too risky for an |
| treatments, and they are most often used for IVF | | | | insurance company to gamble on. |
| treatments. | | | | Also, all companies will say that you've had to have |
| You can also get insurance that looks more like | | | | been infertile for a certain amount of time before |
| traditional health insurance. This type of insurance for | | | | you can begin using their coverage. Some companies |
| infertility varies from company to company, but you | | | | set this limit at a year, which is the normal time |
| basically pay a premium every month like you would | | | | period after which a couple who has been trying to |
| for regular health insurance. Sometimes you can roll | | | | get pregnant is considered infertile, but some |
| insurance for infertility into a broader health insurance | | | | companies will make you wait as long as five years. |
| plan, and sometimes you can buy it separately. Again, | | | | In addition to this waiting, you may have to pay the |
| limits on insurance plans differ, but most plans will pay | | | | premiums on your new plan for a year before the |
| a certain percentage or dollar amount of your | | | | plan will cover any infertility treatments; again, this is |
| infertility treatment costs up to a certain limit. | | | | simply the insurance company operating as a business |
| What it Covers | | | | that needs to make money, and this limit may vary |
| Insurance for infertility treatments comes with | | | | from company to company. |
| different levels and types of coverage. Many basic | | | | Finding More Information |
| health insurance plans actually cover diagnostic | | | | Because not all insurance companies offer insurance |
| infertility appointments with your doctor as well as | | | | plans for infertility treatments, you may have an |
| some medications and procedures to fix the | | | | easier time tracking down these companies through a |
| underlying cause of infertility, but it's very rare - | | | | local infertility clinic. Check to see if the clinic has a list |
| except for in a few states - for health insurance to | | | | of companies that might provide plans that will work |
| cover treatments like IUI, IVF, or GIFT. | | | | for you and your partner. |