Welcoming a baby into the family is a life-changing decision for a couple but infertility may sometimes come in the way of one’s cherished dream of completing the family. Nearly 27.5 million couples in India suffer from infertility problems and this number is estimated to rise by more than 10% by 2020. In this scenario, it becomes vital to seek medical help, do your research, and understand the ambit of your Health Insurance plan.
Does your Health Insurance cover fertility treatment?
Usually, Health Insurance companies provide an essential set of health benefits such as outpatient care, emergency services, prescription drugs, paediatric services, and maternity and new-born care. What doesn’t often fall under the benefits is infertility care. So, first things first – get an understanding of what your insurance covers.
In this regard, the common classification of cover is as follows:
- Full infertility insurance coverage
- No fertility insurance coverage
- Insurance coverage for infertility diagnosis only
- Insurance coverage for infertility diagnosis and limited fertility treatment
- Medication coverage (which may or may not include fertility drug prescriptions)
If infertility diagnosis is covered by your policy and you’d like to know which expenses are eligible, ask if the procedure would determine the existence and cause of the infertility issue. Learn about injectable fertility drugs, oral ovulation drugs, and intrauterine insemination (IUI) if your plan offers some kind of treatment.
If your policy covers for infertility, you needn’t worry much about the cost of the treatment. Just make sure you have carefully gone through the fine print and ask your doctor if procedures such as intracellular sperm injection (ICSI), pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), egg freezing, etc. are recommended.
Fertility drugs, cycles of treatment, surrogacy, and adoption
Infertility treatment drugs can be slightly confusing. While your insurance might cover one kind of drug, it might not cover another. So while prescription drugs remain a matter of concern, you should sort it out well in advance with your genetic endocrinologist.
Some families get lucky in their first attempt at intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilisation (IVF), or frozen embryo transfer (FET). Understanding what insurance benefits you are eligible for will decide the treatment you should undergo. Check how many attempts your policy covers. For example, in IVF, an insurance plan can specify the number of embryo transfer attempts. An additional cycle may be covered if the first cycle was unsuccessful.
If you find that IUI and IVF are not working for you, you may decide to opt for a gestational surrogate who will carry your child to term. Depending on your surrogacy agreement, your policy may or may not cover the retrieval and fertilisation of your eggs. And if you choose to go forward with adoption, see if your insurer offers any reimbursement for adoption fees.
Financing your fertility treatment with a Personal Loan
While a majority of health policies have excluded infertility treatments in the past, the rise in the number of infertility problems is serving as an opportunity for insurance companies to offer infertility treatment policies.
Even if your insurance provides no coverage for fertility treatment, you need not despair about the prospects of parenthood. Other financing plans can help you cover the costs of childbirth, such as the hassle-free and convenient Personal Loans offered by HDFC Bank.
Fertility treatments can seem daunting, but with the right amount of research and the right tools, planning a baby and growing your family is attainable without burning a hole in your pocket.
Avail of a Personal Loan with unmatched benefits from HDFC Bank in just a few hours and turn your dreams of becoming a parent into reality! You can avail a Personal Loan funds within 10 seconds if you are a selected pre – approved HDFC Bank customer. For non – HDFC Bank customers, you can easily access the loan within 4 hours. And with EMIs at Rs 2,162 per lac, you can enjoy a stress free repayment future!
Looking to apply for a Personal Loan from HDFC Bank? Click here to get started!
Click here to read more on how EasyEMI will help you with fertility treatments.
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