Friday, December 5, 2008

I hate insurance companies!

Let me preface with saying that I have many family members who are in the medical profession, so in no way am I bashing physicians. However, I received my EOB (explanation of benefits) for my IUI, as you know my insurance covers my IUI's at 100%. Now the doctor bills $200 to the insurance company, and gets paid. Now if I did not have insurance coverage I would have to about $2000 to the doctors office, for the same procedure. That is NOT FAIR! What ever happened to getting a discount for paying cash? Its the same thing with IVF, out of pocket you pay about $13,000, but if you have insurance, the doctor gets paid about $1500 for the IVF. Now I am grateful to my doctors who are fighting long and hard to get me pregnant, but I do not understand why there is such a difference in pricing.

I am all for doctors making money, every is in business to make a living, but why can't there be some middle ground. Fertility is one of the only medical avenues where insurance doesn't cover everything. Most other doctors all bill health insurance and get paid for most procedures. But fertility is tricky- some insurance covers nothing, some cover some things, and others cover everything. But that is not fair to get paid more from someone just because they have no insurance coverage. I feel it is taking advantage of patients. Here you have desperate people who so badly want to have children and are willing to pay all this money to do it, so you charge them more money. Why not just charge the same amount as what the insurance would pay? Or at least give them a discount. Example, if insurance pays $200 for an IUI, and the cash price is $2000, why not have the cash price be $500? You are still making money, but making it affordable for people. Why should people be denied their right to parenthood because of finances!?

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