With the political environment on fire with the upcoming elections, there have been many heated topics. The economy, healthcare, and women's rights have been on the forefront of the discussions. I feel like I am being impacted by all three of these items today, and I am realizing that although my specifics are not mainstream, my feelings are important, and I can feel frustrated.
We are delving into the infertility realm again, and today I was reminded why this is so hard, and frustrating and such an emotional roller coaster. I thought once we had a baby it would be better, but our family still feels incomplete, and that emptiness of the second child is not to be underestimated.
I am outraged at the thought of all the people who claim that their bodies are their own, and they deserve the right to choose whether or not to have a baby. The government backs them 100% and offers them the ability to obtain birth control at virtually no cost to them, and get it from anywhere, even if those places don't believe it birth control. The government also ensures that sterilization procedures are covered by insurance and available at any time. They also allow and pay for abortions for those who choose selfishness over humanity. They want to ensure that a woman is entitled to her CHOICE, and will pay leaps and bounds to protect that choice.
I want to have the same ability to CHOOSE. However, I choose to have a baby, not prevent or terminate; however, due to MEDICAL DISORDERS, I am not given that choice. My body does not operate normally, and therefore, I cannot have a baby. There are options available, however, the government does not see these medical procedures as important to demand tcoverage by insurance like they do birth control and abortion. Why is my right to choose to have a baby less important than the choice to terminate one?
It is rare to find an insurance that covers infertility treatments; however, 10% of couples have trouble conceiving, and that number is on the rise. My current insurance is a high deductible plan, because we cannot afford the outrageous cost to join my husbands work plan. It is just not worth spending $1,000 a month for premiums and then still have a large deductible and copays when you get sick. His plan also does not cover fertility.
Although I believe it is unfair, I have come to grips with knowing we will have to pay thousands out of pocket to try to have another baby. Afterall, I have three babies sitting in a freezer. I am not about to abort those babies. What choice do I have other than to give them a chance to grow into people who can survive on their own? Even if that will cost thousands of dollars that I may not have.
Here is my further frustration with the Healthcare system. I have insurance, I understand I will have to pay, however, it is impossible for them to tell me how much I will have to pay. Sometimes things are considered medical (can be covered) and sometimes things are considered infertility (definitely not covered). Here is a typical conversation:
Me: Is this something that insurance will cover?
Doctor: I don't know, it depends on if it is medical or infertility
Me: How is that determined?
Doctor: It is based on the codes that the provider enters
Me: What are the codes you would give the insurance?
Doctor: Well that depends on what we find.
Me: So, even though, I have to pay for it, you can't tell me how much it will cost?
Doctor: Well, we can tell you how much we typically bill, but if it is covered under your insurance, they may reduce what you will have to pay.
So, then I call insurance, and they tell me that until they get the bill from the doctor, they won't know how much their rate will be based on the contracts. Keep in mind, when I say "covered," that doesn't mean they pay for it, that means I get to pay for it at their contracted rates. So when something is not insured or someone doesn't have any insurance, what make the doctors think that people who can't afford insurance can afford higher rates for the same procedure.
In the political world, healthcare reform is a hot topic. They want everyone to have insurance. Do they forget that some things are not covered by insurance, like infertility due to medical disorders or like all high deductible plans, prenatal care and maternity? Do they care that the consumers are unable to find out much they actually will pay for a procedure since neither the doctors or the insurance can tell them until after the procedure is complete?
I think that healthcare does indeed need to be reformed, but it needs to be reformed in a way that makes it fair. If the government is going to subsidize the choice for abortions, they better subsidize the choice to have a baby. If they are going to make insurance cover vasectomies they better cover in-vitro as well. They also better reform it to make it clearer to the consumers how much it will since most of us are paying for the procedures anyway out of pocket, either through deductibles, or our 20% of the cost of the procedure.
Overall, people only figure this stuff out after they get sick, or find out something isn't covered, or essentially get screwed over from the healthcare system and the insurance companies. We we are sick, or infertile, it is already an emotional roller coaster. The that last thing we need is to feel like we are stuck and caught between a rock (Doctors) and a hard place (insurance).
