Jessica: Hello?
RE's office: Hey Jessica, this is ------. Just calling to let you know that since you are the primary couple in this cycle, you owe a fee of $500 that isn't covered by the Shared Risk Program. We need to get this taken care of today before your donor starts medications.
Jessica: Um, fee? What fee? Nobody told me about an extra fee. I was told that with the Shared Risk program I would not have to pay anymore out of pocket except for my medications and ultrasounds.
RE's office: Well, this is a fee that was instituted recently, so you wouldn't have known about it. The primary couple now has to pay a fee of $500 per cycle.
Jessica: Um. Okay?
Mind you, I'm in the middle of giving a patient medications and had to walk away to take this call because I thought it would be my nurse. I was completely caught off guard, so my only reflex was to hesitantly say okay, pull the credit card out, and pay the fee out of fear of being kicked out of this cycle if I didn't pay.
Seriously???
So, does this mean that they can just randomly call me and tell me that they have added another "fee" and I'm expected to pay it or be kicked out mid-cycle? Am I the only one that thinks that this was a complete lack of communication on their part and that we are being taken advantage of....again? How do you get around something like this? They have our balls in their hands and we have no choice but to pay it!
As soon as I got home today, I explained the situation to Andy and he went from cute to livid in about 30 seconds. He will be calling our doctor directly tomorrow and asking him why we didn't receive a letter or communication of some sort. I mean, who wants to dish out $500 unexpectedly? A little notice please! It wasn't even in our financial estimate that we received from the office in February. What really makes me mad is that I paid off a credit card LAST NIGHT thinking that I was done giving the fertility gods mine and my parent's life savings. Son of a biscuit eating bulldog.
To top it all off, I got home and received a statement in the mail that "insurance" was pending on our canceled cycle. I got to thinking, now why would they bill Shared Risk for a canceled cycle? After looking at our contract, it states that a cycle will count towards you if it is canceled AFTER egg retrieval. Andy will be grilling their butts about this tomorrow as well...we take it as that cycle counted against us even though we never went through with the transfer! We got absolutely nothing from that cycle but a bunch of wasted money! As a matter of fact, the primary couple had to pay out of pocket for our half of the cycle PLUS the office got our Attain money too! Even if we were paying out of pocket, we would have gotten our money back and the primary couple would have to strike a check for our half. I don't get it. If this is the case, we would almost have been better off paying out of pocket for 2 fresh cycles then giving Attain all of our money. Omg.
This is Jessica going from cute to livid in 30 seconds.
Now it's time to put the icing on the cake folks. I was supposed to start my period, um, Sunday. I'm supposed to go for my first ultrasound tomorrow. No, I'm not pregnant. However, this cycle will be delayed until I start my frickin' period. F'awesome.
I will blame the delay of the menstrual cycle on certain family and work issues over the last week stressing me out that I should probably not mention on here since most of them read my blog. Once again, you find out who your true friends and family are when going through tough times. And it doesn't help that someone I work with is the clone of Attila the Hun. That being said, the stress from my doctor's office and Shared Risk program is completely unnecessary and cruel. Why must they do this to me while I'm doped up on Lupron and hormones galore?
If we did lose that cycle, then I can only pray that this first real cycle gives us a damn litter and that I don't have to do anymore. Otherwise, I will only have one fresh attempt left and that will really stress us out. I will have more answers tomorrow after our office experiences the wrath of Andy.
God, please help me. Everything is always against us...do you just not want us to be parents?
Is this really my life?
13 comments:
Ugh, that totally sucks. I'm in a similar boat with Canada Revenue regarding claiming medical expenses. Money troubles and extra stress is such a bitch! So hoping Andy gets this taken care of quickly and AF shows up to get this cycle party started. Oh, and I'm hoping for a litter either way.
Wow! Sounds like the RE office has a lucrative game going there...institute fees without telling patients and then spring it on them at the last minute. Incredible. Hang in there.
Um, yeah they are completely screwing with you. Obviously the "fee" should have been stated up front. A change in policy should only apply to new patients or the next cycle--not people who have already paid into the program. Secondly, why on earth would the cancelled cycle count against you since the other couple had to shell out for it? Aren't they use to dealing with donors and shared cycles? Please please let Andy go kick their behinds tomorrow.
I felt my shoulders getting tenser and tenser while reading this post. Ridiculous!!!!!!
I am so sorry that you are having to deal with this! How awful of them to put you in such a position. You should not have to pay some fee that they just randomly came up with out of the blue. Most people don't just have $500.00 laying around...especially people going through fertility treatments! We are already giving them everything we have!! I hope Andy gives them a piece of his mind and you get this straightened out. Extra stress is the last thing that you need. I will be praying for you!
I feel like you should be grandfathered into this cycle without the fee, since you started it before they "recently" started charging the fee. That is ridiculous!! Hope you start your period soon and you get your litter ;-)
That all sounds like one big pile of donkey balls. Ugh. I hate how they can just yank us around.
ugh, I hate when crap like this happens. why are there always hidden expenses???? I would be livid too and I hope your husband can take care of this for you so you do not have to.
Hoping for smooth sailing for you from this point forward.
That completely sounds like a load of you know what. You definitely should not have to pay the new fee - especially since you weren't notified about it! As for the canceled cycle counting against you - I just have no words - unbelievable. I hope Andy is able to get it all sorted out!!
UGH!!! I hope the BBQ and Roasting a la Andy goes well today. That's BS!! Good thing you decided to strap on the bitch boots...I will fed ex you my pair today in case you need a spare pair.
Thanks to everyone for the support:) Andy tried to call today and nobody returned his call...big surprise! Let the wars begin, ha!
OH...My...GAAAAAAAAAHHH! That is insane Jessica. I am stressed out just reading your post. I'm sorry :( $500 is a lot of money just to be called a "fee" out of nowhere! Sounds like they don't give a you know what about you. Hmmmm...I've been down that road before, only it was with medical personnel taking care of me. It totally sucks and you should NOT have to deal with that crap right now. Yep, you find out really quick who your REAL family and friends are... (((HUGS))) Thinking of y'all!
Praying for you and Andy! Remember the words on your bathroom wall.....
Love and miss you, Ronda
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