Coverage of sperm banking, etc.

[alsawo]

A cursory glance shows that my insurance doesn't cover anything fertility related. Has anyone had success getting sperm banking, etc. covered when it becomes necessary following TC?

[TC Destroyer]

Unfortunately many insurances will not cover infertility issues including banking. The good news is there are programs and charities available that will help with some of the upfront costs. I used Fertile Hope through the livestrong foundation. They help with the fees involved with the collection and I think they pay for the first year of storage (~$150?) which is based on the # of samples of course.

let me know if you have any other Q's.

John

[Geoff]

I guess it depends on insurance. I would call them and ask just to make sure, and you may need a note from your doctor. Mine was covered by insurance, I just needed pre-approval.

[alsawo]

I confirmed with my insurance company (Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal) that they don't cover sperm banking even for TC patients unfortunately.

We could of course appeal but since it's outlined in our benefits plan that fertility treatments are never covered for any reason, the law is unfortunately not on our side. We could try to embarrass or guilt them into making an exception (see this guy's story http://mytesticularcancer.wordpress....you-to-wbz-tv/) but we don't have that much fight in us now and we can afford it, so we're probably going to just let it go.

However, I wanted to pass along some info I found for others.

The Fertile Hope program TC Destroyer mentioned looks like a great option for those who meet the income requirements. If you don't (or if you can't wait the week it presumably takes to get approved), the Live:On sperm-banking-by-mail program they use is still pretty affordable, and a great option for those who don't live near big metro areas with sperm banking centers. Processing, analysis, freezing and a year of storage if $675.

We were also surprised how reasonable the costs are even at big expensive IVF centers. We've been working with George Washington University hospital in DC and so asked for a quote from their IVF clinic; it will be $300 for collection and freezing and $300 for a year of storage. For some reason I got it in my mind that it would be thousands of dollars, so I just wanted to share the realities of what we've found for others considering this option.

I think the high costs come in when you actually use the banked sperm, which hopefully won't be necessary.

[TC Destroyer]

Storage is relatively inexpensive, I use Reprotech. The closest reproductive endocrinologist can point you in the right direction for sperm collection and storage. I collect through the hospital who then ships it to Reprotech in MN, (insured of course....)

IVF costs about $15K-$20 depending on location, main cost is the drugs used for the females to stimulate egg production and suppress ovulation. Trust me I know... Some states require insurance to cover Infertility issues- Illinois I am pretty sure is one, a simple google search will provide the list of all states. SD is not one of them

Best to check with your insurance first.