Drugs and Insurance

It's on to the next cycle. Dr. S decided to skip right over 200mg of Clomid to 250mg a day for five days. She also warned that even if I hadn't experienced much in the way of side effects before, I more than likely will now. I guess I've been fairly lucky. I have gotten hot flashes and some mood swings, but it looks like I might be in for a real roller coaster this month. In addition to the Clomid, I will again get a shot of HCG to ensure ovulation.

The thrilling part of all that? Neither Clomid nor HCG is covered by insurance. Nor is either one cheap. Today's grand total for both of these? $143. That is unreal. While I know great strides have been taken in recent years for insurance to cover fertility-related doctors visits, for the most part drugs are not covered.

We really are very lucky with our health insurance. We don't pay for it, our co-pays are only $15, and when it comes to fertility coverage, we don't pay anything for IUI's and we are entitled to an unlimited number of them until I turn 44 years old. I recently added up what our insurance company was billed from my RE in July and August, and it was just under $10,000. Our out of pocket expenses for the same period were probably $200, excluding drugs.

Given the medical treatment I'm allowed to have I really shouldn't complain about drugs not being covered, but at the same time for all that has been paid out for me over the last few months, are drugs just a cost that would put it all over the top?

Round Three

I went to the RE yesterday to reconfirm that I'm not pregnant, and to get the prescription for my next round of Clomid. I'm up to 150mg/day now. I'm just going into this cycle not worrying or getting upset or uptight about it. Whatever happens happens.

When I went to CVS to fill the prescription they wouldn't because they said it was over the allowed dosage. WTF? So I had to go back a few hours later after they got an approval code from the doctor. Oh well.

It's weird. I had worse side effects from 50mg than i did on 100mg. I wonder how I'll be on 150.

5 years

We've been trying to have a baby for almost 5 year now. It's been on and off, but we've never not tried in all that time. Last month we, well... I started seeing a reproductive endocrinologist. A fertility doctor. It hasn't been easy.

Right now I'm in the middle of my second cycle of Clomid. The first cycle was half the dose I took this cycle, and I was a sloth last cycle. So far this cycle the side effects don't seem as intense, although I get a lot more hot flashes.

I see the doctor about once a week. Since I'm coming up on ovulation right now, I was there Monday, and I'm going again tomorrow. If all looks good, we expect to do IUI (intrauterine insemination, or what used to be called "artificial insemination") at the end of the week.

I meant to start this blog the first day I went to the RE, but was so overwhelmed that I couldn't. I'm ok with it now. Or at least I'm ok with it all at this moment. As me again in 15 minutes.