Stick It

This process has started with me getting stuck in the arm, then in the vagina and most recently in my stomach (belly button included). Now my insurance company is trying to stick it to me. I came home to $9,000 bill for my surgery and have been a little sick in the stomach ever since. So before I launch off on my insurance-companies-are-evil soapbox, let me say that we have very good insurance. Not only do we have good insurance, we also have this magical supplemental insurance which pays for things like gym memberships, out of network psychotherapy, and other things the main insurance won't cover. We are very fortunate. Some people go broke from fertility treatments, but while the $30 co-pays add up, it is a much better option than paying out of pocket. They even cover part of IVF!

That said insurance companies are evil. I learned this the hard way but thankfully with very minor claims such as contact lenses. But my clinic is not Lenscrafters and there isn't a get pregnant while you wait option. I almost didn't have the surgery because the insurance repercussions scared the whatever out of me. So I did my due diligence and Jenny kindly assured me that I didn't need precertification as it was considered outpatient surgery and that there wasn't a co-pay for the surgery, but probably for the lab work. What happy fortune.

When I went in for my pre-op check-up (two days before my surgery) the intake lady told me that she needs my hospital info, not my regular insurance because they aren't the hospital insurer. I wasn't as diligent as I had thought. I have never used the hospital insurance before and really had forgotten that I even had that insurance. So it is too late now. I convinced myself that regular insurer was the provider for this because it was outpatient surgery. Now a month later, I have serious buyers remorse. This surgery did nothing to advance my chances of conceiving and now it is going to cost me $9000? That's my IVF and/or adoption money.

Matt is handling this one. He is convinced that our insurance will pony-up something and whatever it doesn't, our magical insurance will. (You think I am lying about it being magical, but the insurance card has a picture of Santa Claus riding a unicorn on it.) I suspect he is right, but I am planning on remaining mildly nauseous until this is resolved.

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