Fertility Problems?
How the right health insurance can make a change in your destiny
(article published in Canarian Weekly 2.October.2009)
Author: Susana Dias
Dear Susana: I’m seeing how my younger sister is having terrible problems getting pregnant. I’m already 38 and although my partner and I haven’t started trying for a baby, I would like to know if there’s any health insurance that covers fertility problems? M.S.
Dear M.S. - Getting pregnant isn’t always straightforward. More and more couples are experiencing difficulties getting pregnant, and may choose various fertility treatments in order to increase the chances of conception. Unfortunately, fertility drugs and treatments are very expensive, and fertility treatment cycles can soon add up to exorbitant amounts. However, if you have the right health insurance with coverage for various infertility procedures, including fertility testing, artificial insemination, and embryo transfer, this will help you and your partner to get on the right path to conception.
Not all health insurance companies offer the coverage for infertility treatments that you need to undergo before achieving a satisfactory pregnancy. Any couple between 30 and 40 years of age, should be aware that nowadays, the possibility of getting pregnant is lower than years ago: call it stress, or delaying the arrival of the baby due to professional commitments or even to financial planning. The concerned couples should have a closer look at the small print on their health insurance and check the exclusions regarding infertility. The complexity of the treatments and their high cost, cause the insurance companies to limit the fertility treatments offered on the health cover.
Looking at different policies on the market, we can say that in general, medical / health insurance covers the tests of masculine or feminine infertility detection, but they do not cover the following treatments or techniques needed until achieving the desired pregnancy. Also, all the Insurance Companies exclude all kinds of preexistent illnesses, injuries, pathologies or medical conditions (for example infertility) suffered previously to the date of contracting the policy.
So if the client knows before signing the contract, that he or she has infertility problems, Insurance Companies will exclude any type of test or infertility treatment. Another point worth mentioning is that couples with infertility problems are under continuous pressure that can lead to destabilizing their relationship, aggravating the stress factor that subverts the fertility process.
With DKV Top Health this situation is planned and they offer a psychological aid to couples, meanwhile with other insurance companies you must ask for authorization. Not only test and treatments are needed, also several medicaments. Most insurance companies do not offer cover for medicine and only the DKV Top Health will cover all medication prescribed by a doctor. In case you can’t afford a DKV Top Health, products like Integral, Mundi or Residentes also offer possibilities of getting big discounts on fertility treatments incertain hospitals and medical centres.
Under no circumstances, Insurance Companies cover fertility treatments for single ladies and no ovules donation. Also the periods of grace are important to mention (period of time after the insurance is in force, during which some of the coverage included in the guarantees of the policy is not effective). Most health insurance companies have a specific period of grace for fertility treatments. Asisa has a period of grace of 6 months, MAPFRE 48 months and DKV of 12 months. As said previously, not all the companies cover all the tests or treatments that are necessary to achieve a pregnancy. DKV offers the policy DKV Top Health that covers all the possible tests and treatments for masculine and feminine infertility. Of course, both must be insured with DKV Top Health. Adeslas covers all the tests and all the fertility treatments the employees of MUFACE, MUJEJU and ISFAS, for individual policies tests are covered but not the methods of assisted reproduction.
In the Canaries you can go the best private hospitals medical centres and to more than 3.000 specialists: In Tenerife, some of the hospitals where you can use DKV services are Hospiten Rambla, Hospiten Bellevue, Hospiten Tamaragua, USP Hospital la Colina, Hospiten Sur – Clinica verde, USP Hospital Costa Adeje, among others. In Gran Canaria, Clinica Nª Srª Perpetuo Socorro, Clinica San Roque, Clinica Santa Catalina y Hospital Policlinico la Paloma, among others. With Top Health you have free choice of doctors all around the world, and the company will reimburse 100% of the bills.
Contact the Author for more information or any doubt you might have