Conceive's Top 50 Companies for IVF Benefits

Conceive magazine generates a yearly list of the top 50 companies for those looking for IF treatments or adoption.

8 IVF cycles later, I declare myself a self appointed expert on what it takes to do a serious number of cycles. Most clinics get paid about $5K for the average cycle (some less). This means a $15K IVF benefit will get you approximately 3 IVF cycles. Drug benefits are another story. My cycles have typically averaged about $8-9K each in drug benefit - I blew through a $25K drug benefit over the course of 4 IVF cycles (I have lots of meds left over, but still!) So a $10K drug benefit may last you 1 to 1.5 cycles AT MOST, well, unless you're doing very low stims. I'm on 450iu/day gonal-F + 2 amps of menopur/day. Your mileage may vary.

My favorites from the Conceive magazine:

Black & Decker:
$40K IVF + unlimited drugs
HQ in MD

Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
$50K IVF w/Drugs
HQ in VA

Boston Consulting Group
Unlimited IVF & drugs
Boston MA

Citizens Financial
$100K for IVF + $100K for drugs
$22K for each adoption
HQ in RI

Columbia Laboratories
4 IVFs & drugs (appears to be unlimited)
Livingston, NJ

Cornell Univ.
$50K IVF + unlimited drugs
Itaca, NY

Deutsche Bank
$30K for IVF + unlimited drugs
NY, NY

Discovery Communications
$50K for IVF & drugs
HQ in MD

Exceptional Software Strategies Inc.
$100K for IVF including drugs
HQ in MD

Harvard University
6 cycles of IVF + unlimited drugs
More cycles if a new reason for IF is discovered
Cambridge, Mass.

Inova Health System
$25K for IVF + $20K for drugs
HQ in VA

JP Morgan Chase & Co.
$20K for IVF + $10K for drugs
NY, NY

Kozy Shack
Unlimited IVF + unlimited drugs
Long Island, NY

Mass General Hospital
6 cycles IVF + unlimited drugs
Boston, MA

McGraw Hill Companies
$20K for IVF + unlimited drugs
NY, NY

Morgan Stanley
$15K for IVF + $15K for drugs
NY, NY

Novo Nordisk
4 IVFs + unlimited drugs
Princeton, NJ

PricewasterhouseCoopers
$25K for IVF + $10K for drugs
NY, NY

Robins & Morton
Unlimited IVF & drugs
Birmingham, AL

Staples
$15K for IVF + unlimited drugs
HQ in MA

Subaru
4 IVF cycles + unlimited drugs for NJ employees
Cherry Hill, NJ

Companies that have unlimited drugs are favorites in my book.

One company that didn't make it to this list, and I don't know why:

McAfee.com
$50K for IVF + $25K for drugs
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas
No age limit :)

Hopefully this helps someone find a job with benefits. :-)

Evaporation Lines and HPT Mirages

Today I am at 9 days past a 3 day transfer.

Yesterday's HPT was as white as snow. I looked at it in bright light to triple check that the trigger was gone....and nothing there. Not even an evaporation line.

Today's? Well, I'm not quite sure.

I'm wondering if I stuck the stick too deeply into the cup of urine as it was dark in the bathroom this morning - maybe it is a line of where the stick hit the urine? But there's the very so faintest line today. Sorta looks like an evaporation line but, like yesterday, I haven't seen any evaporation lines on these HPT sticks.

When I saw this, what rolled off of my tongue was a totally shocked, "I"m pregnant?" and I noticed my forehead was all wrinkled up in disbelief. I had to laugh at my reaction to this possibility. Not overwhelming joy, but intense shock, disbelief.

After 8 retrievals, 1 FET, and two IUIs...and not a single BFP EVER...I think most would be shocked.

So...I'm very very very cautiously hopeful, but not in a huge way. I'll POAS again tomorrow and compare to today's but I honestly think that I'm looking at a bleep with the HPT rather than a true BFP. But I will keep a flame of hope alive all the same.

But, in my usual "I-must-always-be-in-contingency-planning-mode", I called my RE's office today to schedule my MRI for next week.

Onward and sideways!

=====

Interesting snafu with my insurance that might help someone else out.

I have BCBS through my former job (a Cobra plan)- it has $50K in IVF coverage ($40K remaining) and expires the end of July.

I took a new job and now have Aetna with $15K in IVF coverage (effective 4/1/2010).

My current cycle started in May and I didn't realize that I needed to coordinate my benefits. I just had my RE bill it all to BCBS as it has a lot of IVF dollars that are going to expire.

Well, BCBS denied all of the claims and said that even though I've had them longer, that because my policy with them is administered through COBRA, that they fall into a 2nd position.

Great. So this means that I'm no longer tapping into the $40K (that expires in July) but into the $15K.

I called Aetna and they said that they too will deny coverage for the IVF because I didn't get preauthorized for it through their IVF program. Aetna actually told me to have the bills sent to them so that they could deny them, forcing BCBS to pay in their secondary position.

Sounds good to me as I'd rather be tapping into the $40K that expires in July than the $15K that is good til I use it.

So get this: my RE clinic says that they recognize my primary coverage as BCBS because "you've had it longer". Not Aetna. And that they will continue to send bills to BCBS (who will continue to deny them). When I told them that Aetna actually said to send bills to them so that they could deny them (and then BCBS would pick up as secondary), they acted like I was doing something wrong (even though I was advised to do this).

What a snafu.

I'm sure it will all work out in the end as it has to. But what a mess!

So ladies, if you have a COBRA plan and a regular plan, be very careful about submitting your bills to the right plan first!! Or, better, yet, make sure that they never find out about each other in the first place!

Sigh.

My How the Worm Turns

I took the job I have now with the belief that they had IVF coverage. Then found that it wasn't true.

I gave up. Tossed in the towel. I simply couldn't afford to do this anymore. My S/O and I split up and we're now doing our own thing (except for the small fact that he still lives with me). Life went on. Or so I thought.

Drum roll.....

Open enrollment is underway at my company and the new plans came out today. Let's just say I'm beyond stunned.

Not only are they covering IVF but they're outdoing any company I've known before:

$25,000 lifetime meds for IVF
$50,000 for IVF (max of 5 cycles)

Holy crap.

Jealous? I'm still stunned. I cannot fucking believe that as I turn 44 years old next month, I am greeted with the possibility of being a mom. Again.

The first question that came to mind after the "holy fuck" was "Do I do this again?" followed immediately by, "Where is Dr. Pompy's phone number and does he take BC/BS of Texas???"

I've since calmed down. I perused the CCRM website before leaving work and stopped by the house to pop my folgard, BA, HPT-5, and vitamin E.

I think you could say I already know what I'm going to do. Tomorrow I'll hit up Whole Foods to load up on omegas. I have 4 months to get my eggs in shape, do LIT, find HGH to shoot up (we're going cutting edge!).

The only question now is: who's going to be the daddy?

*sobs*