The cost of not having a baby

How much does it cost to have a baby? Well, for "normal" people it doesn't actually get expensive until after the baby is born but for infertiles the costs start racking up long before that. Here's how much it has cost me to not be pregnant so far:

One failed Clomid cycle - $8.00
Initial visit to Dr. T and first u/s - $191.00
2 SA's - $70
CD 3 bloodwork and repeat u/s - $36.30
Bloodwork before lap - $26.80
Dr. T's charges for lap - $105.70
Bill for lap from the hospital - $2,863.82 (but one thing was coded wrong so that should end up being less)
Anesthesiology for lap - $70.52
Appendectomy (because it was covered in endo) - $99.90
Pathology for tissue removed during lap - $13.30

For a grand total of - $3485.34
Although, that should go down considerably after the hospital resubmits their claim. It's still a lot though. Infertility is one of the only businesses where the consumer forks over money not expecting a guaranteed return on their investment. And we just keep forking over the money as long as there is any glimmer of hope that one time it will work.

Labs and Tests and Blood work, Oh My!

Since my last IF related post I've gone back two more times for blood work and Danny has done his SA. My P4 (progesterone) came back "fine" and my CD 3 blood work was all normal. The CD 3 consisted of FSH, insulin, glucose, and testosterone. Since the lab didn't throw the thyroid panel in with that I got to go back in yesterday to have yet more blood drawn for it. Danny got to produce his sample for the SA at home and we drove it to the lab. Why can't IF testing for women be more fun than a poke in the arm?

I also got the first IF related EOB (explainatin of benefits)in the mail. It was for the claim for the progesterone bloodwork. The claim was denied and the EOB said that I'll owe $54. Now I know that infertility diagnosis and testing is in fact covered by my insurance. I checked our plan booklet before I called to make the first appointment with the doctor. According to the booklet all I should have to pay is "10% of the Plan allowance and any amount over $2,500". So I got online to see if any other claims had been processed and I just hadn't received the paper EOB. For my CD 3 blood work the claim amount was $385 and insurance only paid $24.30 so I owe $239.70.

First thing this morning I called the claims department at the insurance company. I wanted to find out why they weren't paying the 90% that the booklet says is covered. Turns out on the P4 claim the doctors office used a procedure code that isn't current so I need to have them resubmit that claim with a different code. The CD 3 blood work claim was fine but I had to meet our deductible before they would start paying the 90%. According to the customer service rep I talked to the deductible has now been met so all claims filed from now on will just be subject to the coinsurance. Why do inurance companies have to make everything so confusing?