General
Did you need to do IVF treatment? Did your health insurance cover it?
Updated January 20, 2023
in General
I don't have any children yet so it was important to me to preserve my eggs, but it was really stressful because my insurance did not cover fertility preservation and while I was still learning about the Cancer and treatment, I had to figure out financial solutions for IVF costs.
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I never had this issue but I am curious how much this costs? This is something insurance should cover even partial
I agree. It’s way too stressful to have to deal with a Cancer diagnosis and then find out that not only do you have to do IVF but also pay for it. The clinic I was referred to by my oncologist billed $15k, I think they do a deducted price for cancer patients and then you incur a $1k yearly expense for the lifetime of your preserved eggs/embryos.
There are a few nonprofits that have grants for this! Would love to discuss this issue more in depth in a webinar.
Fortunately, I was connected with the Chickmission in NY through my fertility clinic. They’re a non-profit that helps patients cover fertility costs. Were you able to benefit from any? I still can’t believe this isn’t covered by insurance across the board.
I wish I was given honest information about the impact my treatment could have on my fertility. There were only 8 days between my diagnosis and my first chemo appointment, and I didn’t have the resources to make the right choices for myself. It was not on my radar at all to think about my reproductive future when I wasn’t sure if I’d live to see 25. I was in such a blind panic and deeply relying on the expertise of my medical team.
Looking back, there were at least 3 opportunities to have that conversation with me, even during that short period between diagnosis and starting treatment. I had a nurse navigator who could have brought it up during one of our phone calls or visits to the cancer center, multiple appointments with my oncologist, and even an appointment exclusively about chemotherapy. I am extremely privileged when it comes to healthcare and have access to some amazing hospitals—and even they are failing AYA cancer survivors. So much room for improvement!
The first oncologist I went too didn’t even mention the risk chemo has on fertility. I personally had no idea, I knew nothing about Cancer. I was lucky enough to have the “time” to seek a second opinion and that onc mentioned it. My biggest hurdle was then figuring out if my insurance would cover it and finding the resources that would help me. Obviously there’s always the time variable with Cancer so this brought a lot of stress for me, it was difficult navigating this part of my treatment. Nonetheless, I do feel like this is a conversation that needs to happen across the board on that very first appointment where you’re discussing the treatment possibilities, especially for AYA patients.