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Insurance and Infertility: Is There A Loophole?
One of the biggest loopholes was that the states didn't want to cover vitro fertilization as it could get quite expensive and might not work all the time so insurance companies would balk at this added expense. Now most states have listed this as a non-necessary expense and covered it under maternity coverage. Many states have balked at this idea and only a handful of states are providing coverage for maternity expenses. Some people even consider this practice of not giving coverage as discrimination and they want the government to step in. Most of the basic health plans have no coverage at all for this type of medical treatment, which makes it hard for infertility patients to get any help at all. With only 15 states having any kind of laws on the books to help patients with infertility the problem just seems to be getting no better. There is some new house bills that may or may not be passed. The hardest thing is when women groups are going up against the big insurance companies and all their money it makes it hard to get any laws passed. Progress has been slow so far but they continue to push on. Approximately over 5 million Americans have an infertility problem and about only 20 % actually can get any help with the problem. Many insurance carriers are reluctant to pay for any treatment. Fertility treatments can run upwards of over $30,000 dollars, which makes it non-accessible to many Americans. Some states are mandating more money for treatments but it's slow in coming. Many companies are also reluctant to step forward and talk about it as they fear it would spawn an increasing demand and more expenses then companies want to cover. Many insurance companies have exclusions on infertility treatments and this is something you will have to check on as it varies by each carrier. Certain carriers will cover one thing while another won't. The worst part is that there really is no universal set of guidelines that the insurance companies are following to make it easier for consumers. What many people don't realize is the cost isn't really that much more for insurance companies. So why won't they do it then? The answer is that it would bring a flood of different fertility treatments to the forefront. In other words what ones will they pay for and which ones won't they? That's a very fine line and the insurance companies don't want to go there and confront this issue. What recourses to women have left? First thing to do is check their health care policy. Many companies still don't exclude treatments in their policy. If it's not excluded then they have to cover it. Also look under the pregnancy section to make sure they don't limit what they will cover. Your last recourse is of course to sue them and go to court and present your case to the judge. He may or may not rule in your favor. The only other real option is contact your congressman and see if you can get the laws changed to make fertility treatments mandated in all 50 states. This is the only way anything will probably get done. Many people won't realize, until the loophole is totally closed up, that money is always the insurance company’s number one goal. And since fertility treatments are so expensive, they will shun away from coverage. Hopefully one day soon the loophole will be closed and every woman can get the treatment she deserves when she wants it. This is one problem that has an easy solution and now if we can only convince congress to give the women of America a law that will help them instead of hurting them. DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. Always seek the advice of a licensed Insurance Agent or Broker with any questions you may have regarding any Insurance Matter. Wake Up Richer Every Morning... Instant Internet Business Makes Money Automatically... Thomas Hunter is an Internet marketer, author and publisher and has helped hundreds of people become successful Niche Marketers. Explore the highly profitable world of Niche Marketing at http://SixFigureNiches.com our popular membership website. Article Source: http://netsalesinc.com If you have a website or ezine you may freely post this article on your site as long as you include the full resource box above. All links must be active / clickable with no syntax changes.
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