Hello Again!
I recently posted about the cost of IVF here. My husband and I applied for the discount medication programs First Steps by Design Rx and EMD Serono's Compassionate Care program. We were notified via e-mail from First Steps that we did not qualify financially to receive any assistance, but we received a membership card that gives us access to 'up to 30% the cost of retail IVF medications.' I'm always leery of the word 'up-to' because that usually indicates it's much lower than 30%.
I then had to call Compassionate Care as it was going on a week (we were told they have fast response times) and the nice woman on the phone told me that our application had been rejected because our income fell outside the limits of those who qualify. I of course asked her, well what level of income would I have needed to qualify and she said that they don't provide that information.
I'm sorry, but to apply for these programs I had to provide our most recent tax return. You're telling me I showed you my cards, and you won't show me yours?
This leads me to believe that the income level for these programs must be low if they won't share with me. Maybe these programs are some sort of PR stunt for the big pharma companies to be like, "look at our wonderful program we have to help those in need." A$$holes.
Anyway, Compassionate Care (ironic name right?) said they mailed our rejection letter and included a code in there for us to receive 'UP-TO' a 10% MAIL-IN rebate after we make our purchases. At least First Steps gives us the illusion that it could possibly be 30%. And who likes a mail-in rebate? I think they're bull$hit.
So that's where we are with our pharmaceutical discounts.
Just to break it down, here is a list of medications that a Frist Steps Discount will help you buy:
- Follistim® (follitropin beta for injection)
- Ganirelix® (ganirelix acetate for injection)
- Pregynl
For Compassionate Care:
- Gonal-f® (follitropin
alfa for injection)
- Ovidrel® PreFilled
Syringe (choriogonadotropin alfa injection)
- Cetrotide® (cetrorelix
acetate for injection)
I looked into grants for treatment, and there are some out there, but they have very specific criteria. Still, you may want to look into them because you may qualify.
We met with our Financial Counselor Cathy. Woman knows her stuff! She went over our options, and apparently there are tons of them. Treatment costs will vary depending on your insurance coverage, and area you live in.
We will be spending our own, hard earned cash to pay for this process as our insurance only pays for the diagnosis and not the treatment of infertility.
Cathy first went through the cost of a treatment cycle. Between ultrasounds, blood work, and embryology lab fees, our cost would be $9,000.00. This does not include medication. Medication ranges from $4,000-$6,000. We were presented with two medication discount programs that offer a percentage off of the medications. (anywhere from 15-75% off depending on our financial need) I'm always skeptical when presented with discount programs. I went online after our appointment to see what other kind of discounts were out there for us. I confirmed that these were our best options.
But don't be afraid to do your own digging.
Cathy then spoke about their treatment packages. Their 'most popular' included an entire fresh cycle, and then a frozen cycle if the the fresh cycle didn't work. This was $11,700 (no meds included)
The doctor asked her to speak about their other option which was 6 cycles for $20,000. This is a refund guarantee program. If we don't get pregnant after 6 cycles, we get our money back. If we are successful after one cycle, the package is deemed complete.
My husband, ever the comic says, "I'd like to see something in a leather interior with maple wood accents." Love this man!
There were a lot of other packages available to us, but those two seemed to be the big contenders. We aren't able to make a decision at this moment because we won't have our full diagnosis until after my hysteroscopy and polyp removal.
The clinic also offers a discount program to those who qualify. You can't combine the discount program to the guarantee program. I knew to ask about that because I saw it on their website. Couples have to qualify financially which means that you have to provide two years of tax returns.
Also, there are grants available to those who qualify. They are very specific and may be available to you if you qualify.
Stay tuned for more!
