Sunday, April 2nd, 2006...2:06 pm
Our insurance paid on vasectomy reversal!
We just received a nice check in the mail — my health insurance provider paid for part of the cost of my vasectomy reversal. It didn’t cover the entire thing, but we did get reimbursed for $796 of the costs of surgery. And we could have gotten, and may yet get, even more. To thoroughly cover this subject, we’re going to have to delve into the explanation of benefits (EOB)…
My health insurance paid $796 of the $4,600 billed for surgery. They disallowed $2,981 due to our use of a non-participating provider. $124 would have been covered, but was applied to my deductible, with another $358 being applied to a separate “infertility deductible.” There was a $340 co-pay, leaving $796 covered by insurance.
We were also billed $2,000 for supplies and materials (anesthetic must be expensive!). Here my EOB said, “CPT Code 99070 is no longer accepted. It is requested that the provider of service please rebill…” So, of course, we’re having the clinic do that. I’ll let you know how that one turns out.
My health insurance is with Blue Cross of California. I’m sure all insurers are different and even if you’re on the same plan, who knows if they would cover your vasectomy reversal. I also signed onto my wife’s plan, during open enrollment, a couple of months before the surgery. We’re waiting too see what Blue Cross pays before we submit to hers. Of course, they told us the other day on something else that they “don’t coordinate benefits” when you are double-covered, so I don’t know if we’ll get anything from them or not.
Related post: Cost of vasectomy reversal
Technorati tags: Vasectomy reversal
6 Comments
April 11th, 2006 at 10:54 am
You should share your story with others at the vasectomy reversal message board.
April 11th, 2006 at 7:24 pm
Consider it done! The post title is “Sharing my story.” Thanks for suggesting I post there.
August 15th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Your story is very interesting. I just happen to stumble across it. Although I’m only half way through it right now. I want my husband to have a reversal, but cost is the biggest factor. Did you check into insurance paying before you had the reversal, or did you just file the paperwork after the appt? I would like to check to see if our insurance would cover anything. I was thinking, probably not, but you’ve given me hope! Really enjoying your story! : )
Melony Dunnivant
August 15th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Thanks Melony. We didn’t ask ahead of time. We just filed, just in case. It was a nice surprise, but probably more the exception than the rule.
October 7th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Rich,
Do you mind reposting your original story and the conclusion since that time? Apparently your story and others are no longer available on the site that you originally posted it on (http://www.vasectomy-reversal.org/).
Thanks,
Pnina.
October 16th, 2008 at 10:35 am
Pnina –
that site was a great message board maintained by a vasectomy reversal clinic, but they have decided to close their message boards. Our story is still available through this site.
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