Thursday, December 28, 2006

Advice NEEDED!!!

For those of you who don't believe in superstition, you will be convinced after reading this post. On our way home from the grocery store this evening, a black cat crossed the road ahead of us. Since then, I managed to step in fresh (a.k.a. not frozen) dog poop and got a call from the pharmacy about my meds. It has been 1 freaking hour! The poop needs no further explanation, but regarding the meds I need any advice you can throw my way. Don't get the poop and advice confused because I don't want any shit thrown at me, I have enough in the treads of my tennis shoes.

Here is the situation: My clinic faxed in my order of meds for my next IVF in April and it appears that my insurance coverage has "changed" a bit and rather than having a co-pay of 20% (which I would not have to pay since I have already met my out of pocket for this year), my co-pay is at @ 3,000. YIKES! I just got off the phone with the pharmacy I use, which happens to be part of the company I work for because that is the pharmacy my insurance company works with. Now what do I do? Here are my list of options so far...

1. Cancel the order and wait since I really don't need the meds until April anyway

2. Put the order through because if the transaction is made tomorrow I can claim the 3,000 on this years taxes as an additional deduction along with the cost of the IVF cost share. I won't get much out of claiming it on next years taxes because the amount won't be great enough with the medical equation you have to do to really make much of a difference on taxes. Also, if I put it through now it will be paid off by the time the IVF comes around and hopefully I will be less pissed that I am infertile. Although this could be pointless because I have little faith in my IVF abilities at this point and will probably have to spend much more money next year.

3. Cancel the pharmacy order and put the order through at an online pharmacy that may offer better prices, although I don't know what the prices are and I don't know if this would be possible to do in the short amount of time left in this year to claim it on this years taxes.

4. Cancel the order and shop around for better prices and possible return options for unused meds. This most likely will not happen this year and will be part of next years taxes, which could make a difference if this last IVF does not work and we have to move on to donor eggs. Not only would we be spending more on another cost share, but also could use the left over drugs.

What I need to know from you is what to do? IS there another option that I have that I did not list above? I am leaning toward #2 right now, but only because I know very little about other pharmacy options. Also, I need to call my insurance company and see what is up regarding the change, I am guessing that I have reached my 5,000 infertility limit and that is why they are no longer paying, but with meds for 2 cycles I would have thought that I should have reached that already. I would love for this to be a mistake, but mistakes are not usually made in my favor. Any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated! I conveniently have a post-op appointment with Dr. Bowtie tomorrow at 9:30, so if I need a change made I should know by then since I will have his direct attention.

Did I mention that I am pissed that I am infertile? I have so much negative energy right now that rather than research this I need to go to the gym and run off some of my anger or else I will not sleep again tonight. I hope this is the remainder of the shit I have to deal with in 2006 rather than a taste of what 2007 is going to be like.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am pissed off that I am infertile, too.

I think if I was in the same situation, I would be reluctant to purchase meds so far in advnce. I wouldn't necessarily think I would magically fall pregnant, but that is a possibility. I wouldn't want to jinx myself by having my meds before knowing a cycle was about to start. Some of the online pharmacies really do have better prices, but for the same reasons, I am reluctant to use them, because I don't want to have to pay for any meds until I know I can actually cycle. I guess I do believe in superstition a little!

Stephanie said...

Im pissed off that I am infertile too!

I just ordered my meds online through IVFMeds.com and the prices were great! I was scared to order from them since they are in England but Carol from as good as it gets said she has ordered from them several times and had no problems. I should be getting them next week. I think I would hold off until you know you are cycling...not till April??
I don't know about all the tax implications...I should learn about that since it is tax time of year and we can use all the help we can get!
Is it deductible?

Anonymous said...

I'd love to help Josie, but I'm in Canada and have to pay 100% out-of-pocket anyhow.

I will fourth the pissed off that I'm infertile too, though.

Bea said...

Oh gosh, I don't know. The tax/insurance stuff here is so different and nowhere near the amount of money you're talking.

I guess I would decide: how certain I am of using the drugs by their use-by date; what sort of money I was going to save by getting a tax rebate (ie doing it now) vs what sort of money I was going to save by shopping online (doing it then).

But you already know this.

I'm mainly posting to say I'm pissed at being infertile too. It's so freaking useless!

Bea

DD said...

If you cancel the order altogether I can send a certain box back your way....?

You definitely need to call your insurance company post-haste, but if it is correct, and you know you will cycle eventually it would be wisest to get them now so you can use them as a tax deduction.

Go take your dog-poop laden shoe and rub it on the car of one of your annoying breeder co-worker's car tires. If nothing esle, that alone should make you feel a little better.

DD said...

Ok. That last sentence made no fricken sense whatsoever, did it.

You get the point.