I just had to come and share some exciting news! Now, I know this could mean nothing but what if it made a difference?!?!?!!!
Well Aaron and I have been talking alot about what is next blah blah. I thought I had it all planned out until I called my insurance company to see how much of my $10K Infertility maximum have I used. I thought it would be around $4K with about $6K left towards my next IVF. WRONG. I am at $6K already! Plus, once I do my next FET I will probably be up to around $7K!!! That means I will only have around $3K left to go towards my next IVF. If you know anything about IVF, that is NOTHING.

So that made me all nervous. Aaron says we could save up for it which is fine but it made me panic as I might have to wait a bit longer.

Well I've been looking at jobs with coverage, looking up different stats, different websites, etc. I read about a woman who wrote her HR person and even met her in person about this very same situation. They didn't have ANY infertility coverage so of course, hers is much more needed but she made an impression. The HR woman is taking it before her staff and going over. It could mean nothing but at least they HEARD this woman wanting coverage!

So that inspired me to do a little research. I found a wonderful sample letter from the INCIID website that you can send your HR dept explaining how covering infertility expenses will not make that much of a difference in the cost of insurance, etc.

The funny thing is I researched to find who the HR person was for Comcast. Aaron told me of the woman who is head of benefits here in Houston. I tried emailing her but it came back as a failure to deliver. So I decided to look for myself and found the VICE PRESIDENT of the entire HR for Comcast. It didn't come back so I wondered if it got through. I also wondered if they would just delete my email.

I added my own touches to it and here it is:


Dear __________:
My husband has been an employee of Time Warner/ Comcast for the past year.. My spouse and I are suffering with the disease of infertility and request that you consider raising the maximum of infertility treatment in the Comcast health benefit package.
Often employers believe that adding an infertility coverage benefit will increase health care costs. However, recent studies indicate that including comprehensive infertility coverage in a health benefit package may actually reduce costs and improve outcomes.
For example, a recent employer survey conducted by the consulting firm William M. Mercer found that 91 percent of respondents offering infertility treatment have not experienced an increase in their medical costs as a result of providing this coverage.
As also proven in the following studies, the perceived cost of infertility treatment is typically overstated.
Often patients select treatment based on what is covered in their health benefit plan rather than what is most appropriate treatment. For example, a woman having trouble conceiving because of blocked fallopian tubes or tubal scarring may opt for tubal surgery, a covered treatment, which can cost $8,000 -$13,000 per surgery. Many patients are forced to forgo in vitro fertilization (IVF) because it is not a covered service even though it costs about the same as tubal surgery and statistically is more likely to result in a successful pregnancy.
According to William M Mercer, "The decline in use of high-cost procedures like tubal surgery would likely offset the cost to include IVF as a benefit and provide improved health outcomes." (William M. Mercer, Infertility as a Covered Benefit, 1997).
In states with mandated infertility insurance, the rate of multiple births is lower than in states without coverage. (New England Journal of Medicine, "Insurance Coverage and Outcomes of In Vitro Fertilization," August 2002). Couples with insurance coverage are free to make more appropriate decisions with their physicians based on medical necessity rather than financial considerations which often result in multiple births and a high rate of complications during and post-pregnancy.
Comprehensive infertility coverage may actually reduce premium expense by as much as $1 per member/per month. According to The Hidden Costs of Infertility Treatment in Employee Health Benefits Plans (Blackwell, Richard E. and the William Mercer Actuarial Team, 2000), insurance premiums now indirectly provide coverage for "hidden" infertility benefits such as surgeries to remove scarring in the fallopian tubes for women or varicose vein removal for men, were calculated to be adequate to cover more effective and often less expensive treatments such as ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization.
The cost of infertility services as a percent of the total health premiums went down after the 1987 Massachusetts mandate. (Study by Griffin and Panak, Fertility & Sterility, 1998).
According to a 2003 Harris Interactive Poll, 80% of the general population believes infertility treatment should be covered by insurance. (Harris Interactive Inc., Survey, 2003).
In vitro fertilization accounts for less than 3 % of infertility services. According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), 85%-90% of infertility cases can be treated with conventional medications. (ASRM website, Quick Facts About Infertility).
Currently with the insurance we are paying for (Blue Shield PPO), we have a $10K maximum. Although we are very happy that we have some coverage, the maximum is low. When my husband worked for Time Warner we had 3 in vitro fertilization cycles covered but lost that benefit when Comcast took over. With Comcast’s $10K max, we have done 1 in vitro fertilization cycle (which did not work) and we are already at $6K. Both my husband and I have medical reasons for the need of in vitro fertilization. We are feeling frustrated because we just want to have a chance to become a family of 3.
Please let me know if you would like any additional information on this issue. I hope Comcast will consider raising the maximum of infertility coverage and support our family building efforts. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Diana


This is what she wrote me back:


Dear Ms. -
Thank you for getting in touch. I have read your email and I am reviewing the issue with my staff. I have personal experience with the what you are living with, and I have the greatest empathy for you and your husband.
I do not want to give you any false hope, but we will review your request. I will be in touch with you in a couple of weeks wth a formal response. Thank you for taking the time to do the research.
Sincerely,
C


WOW, is all I can say!! Again, this could mean nothing but they HEARD me!! And to top it all off, she has had infertility so she must have a soft side towards this issue!!!!! I am just happy today that my voice was heard. Of course, I am praying like mad that they can raise our max. because I know I can't be the ONLY woman involved with Comcast that is dealing with infertility and this $10K max. I truly hope that this can make a difference for me and for others that are in mine and Aaron's situation.