Open enrollment

In 2015 we nearly exhausted the benefits on my husband's insurance, so toward the end of the year we did our research about plans and decided I will go on my own employer's insurance for the year.

The start of 2016 was incredible stressful because we discovered that our financial adviser gave us wrong information. In short, she told us we would be covered for the reduced rate under my husband's insurance as long as he was still on it but I didn't have to be a patient on it to qualify. Turns out that was not true, and we were stuck the entire 2016 with very slim coverage for fertility treatment.

For 2017 I want to avoid a similar problem. It's worth it for me to switch back to my husband's insurance because not only are the monthly premiums more affordable but the coverage is better. In addition, there's a very slim chance we may have some fertility benefit left over. There is a lifetime maximum on fertility benefits which we were nearing at the end of 2015. When I sign up for benefits in 2017, I don't know if that counts as a new policy. If it does that means my benefits refresh then we'll get a new lifetime maximum. If not, then I'll pick up where we left off and just use up whatever is left over. Something is better than nothing.

I will try to confirm just so we know what to expect, but in either case I'm still planning to make the switch. Even after maximizing my lifetime benefits, there is still a reduced rate negotiated with my husband's insurance company and the clinic. So even if we are paying out of pocket it's usually 50% of the rate we would pay otherwise.

How do other people do it? Are there better insurance plans? Do most plans cover all fertility treatment?

I'm fighting for these benefits but in the back of my mind I'm hoping it will all be irrelevant. The maternity benefits are amazing -- covered at nearly 100% -- and I'm hoping that my focus will be on that in the coming year instead.