My ‘Dear Eva’ Letter
Okay, so this I got a call from the billing coordinator at my RE’s office who told me that my request for IVF authorization was denied.
She said that the explanation that was given made no sense to her whatsoever, and she suggested that I appeal to a higher authority. As you can see, they are denying my request ‘due to donor sperm’ which makes absolutely no sense. In fact, what she is saying is that she cannot even accept the request, which seems ludicrous to me. This final IVF request does not include ICSI, it is a completely separate and distinct request and really shouldn’t have any connection to the first one. When I called them this morning, I got the same run around. Bascially, they don’t want to pay for the procedure. I get that but I do have a right to it. When does using donor sperm preclude me from IVF benefits? It doesn’t make any sense.
I am going to write to the external consumer review board and wait one month. If I don’t get a satifsfactory answer, I am going round up all of you who volunteered to pummel them with me and when we return, Nadia and I have agreed that we will proceed with IVF# 2 regardless. I feel so many emotions right now I can’t even begin to write about them all.
Ho hum.
So I have to wait another month, which kind of sucks because I really love March. March is definately my favorite month because in addition to representing the start of Spring, my favorite season, it is my birthday month and the month in which which Nadia and I met and fell in love.
Those scum sucking mother fuckers. Sorry, but there is just no couth way to react to that. Bastards. Ok, I’ll go cuss in private now.
1Assholes. I see discrimination around every corner, so I think this is because you’ve got a female partner. It is outrageous. What would they do with a straight married lady whose husband had azoospermia and she had to use donor sperm? They have to have a definition of infertility even for people whose partner’s don’t have good sperm. Based on X number of failures. Or you doc’s opinion, or both. This is insane. Where do you live? I think you should collect all anti-discrimination language you can find and use it against them. Your state, city, employer who bought the insurance policy, etc. They can’t do this. I’m so angry I am spitting nails. Count me in for the pummeling. Fuck them.
2When I fought my insurance company on infertility treatment, I used their non-discrimination policy as posted on their website against them. Told them they couldn’t discriminate against me based on my being a lesbian and not having sperm – it worked. That and the diagnosis I had (endo). But I really think the fact that I hammered them less on my medical history and more on the discrimination aspect scared them.
3Oh, what a horrible denial, and what a horrible reason for said denial. Dumb dumb dumb insurance company.
I am glad that you have some certainty, knowing that you will proceed, but I hope hope hope that your denial is overturned. Is it bad to also hope that the person who issued the denial is plagued by annoyances (like always getting popcorn kernels stuck in their gums at the movies, always having their parking spots taken while they’re looping back for the spot, running out of underpants well before laundry day) until it’s overturned?
Thinking about you, and sorry for this horrid bump in the road!
4That just gives me another month of training. Wow are they going to regret that if they say no again. I am already pretty buff.
5WTF!!!
6Ok really….. this is really really pathetic now…
I really don’t get what the effing problem is…Do they like have a clause that states if Gay reject?
WTF!
ASSHOLES! I agree with Lizzie about using LOTS of anti-discrimination language.
Add this straight chick to your posse of peeps who’ll help with the pummeling!
7I am so tired of insurance companies determining my care. They get paid their insurance premiums yet offer so little. Something has got to be done about this. Perhaps regulating the insurance companies. They line their pockets with gold, and fight like the dickens not to pay out a cent. We need to fire them! Or have more choices.
8That is so infuriating!!!! I’m ready to pummel!!!!
My insurance would only cover IUIs if either (a) the patient used donor sperm or (b) the patient was treated with fertility meds. So, rejecting someone *for* using donor sperm is certainly not a norm for all health insurance companies.
I’m sorry. March is indeed a lovely month. Why is your insurance company such a … !!!!!!!!
9I’m speechless.
Really.
Girl, you let me know when and where we gonna get ig’nant….
10Yes, ’speechless’ is a good word.
11You need to call Michael Moore with this crap. Perhaps he’ll take you to Cuba and get it all ironed out. Bastages. Why the @#$%^ would they make you get SIX IUIs first? Let me know when you want me to show up at their office. I will bring my torch and my pitchfork.
12