Understanding Egg Donor Insurance: What is Covered?

Egg donors play a crucial role in enabling families to have children. When people are unable to produce eggs naturally, or are faced with reproductive challenges that prevent them from using their own eggs, they rely on donated eggs. Egg donors come into the process voluntarily and are compensated for their time, effort and any inconveniences they may encounter in the course of donating their eggs.

While the compensation for donating eggs is generous, it is equally important for egg donors to ensure that the medical cover they have is sufficient to address any risks or unexpected medical emergencies. In this article we will be discussing the insurance that is available for egg donors. As well, we shall look at the different aspects covered by egg donor insurance, and how to address medical bills when you are an egg donor.

What Insurance Plans Cover Egg Donation?

Egg donors may or may not have their own insurance, and as part of the provisions given to the egg donor, potential parents are required to obtain an insurance cover for the egg donor. Egg donor insurance is regulated by state infertility insurance laws, meaning that insurance coverage for infertility treatments and fertility preservation depend on the state an egg donor lives in.

State insurance laws also provide conditions under which fertility treatments can be pursued. There are two main aspects considered in fertility insurance laws, one is treatment for infertility which has to do with cover for assisted reproductive treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Another is fertility preservation, which has to do with sperm and egg donation, as well, ovarian tissue and embryo cryopreservation. 

While most employers and individuals will get some type of medical and maternity cover as required by insurance laws across most states, fertility covers are slightly different. For an egg donor, it is important to be aware of the state insurance laws regarding fertility preservation, the type of plan they have, and the elements covered in that plan. Let us look at some of the risks involved in egg donation, in order to understand how insurance comes into play.

Health Risks and Coverage Details

Risks

Like any medical procedure, egg donation has some risks. While the process is typically overseen by medical professionals, the medications may have some side effects, an egg donor may experience symptoms associated with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) or ovarian torsion, one may have complications during egg retrieval such as injury to the ovaries, bladder, uterus, bowels, or a major blood vessel. 

Typically before an egg donor agrees to donate their eggs, a medical professional would explain the process and the risks involved. As well, the potential parents are usually required to obtain insurance cover for their egg donor. Since state insurance laws govern insurance provision, it is vital that an egg donor understands the type of cover they themselves have, as well, what is covered in the insurance provided by the potential parents.

Coverage  

There are different ways infertility treatments and fertility preservation are covered in insurance law. We will look briefly at some of the major points below: 

Full-Cover Insurance

This type of plan covers both infertility treatments and fertility preservation. Full cover insurance plan often have a minimum quota for the number of individuals covered in the plan. So if an employer for example has 25 employees and the full cover requires a minimum of 100, then they do not qualify to apply for the cover. However, the insurer is required to offer this option to its clients. 

Self-Insured Cover:

Individuals or smaller companies that do not qualify for full cover, or even by choice, may have a self-insured plan. With this plan, it is not a state requirement to cover infertility treatments or fertility preservation. This means that it is up to the individual or employer to decide whether or not to cover these services.  

Conditions for Cover:

An individual may or may not be covered for infertility treatments or fertility preservation, based on what is defined as infertility by the infertility state laws where they live. As well, the amount an individual is insured for will vary, and may not always fully cover every expense associated with fertility treatments. This impacts how much an egg donor will be covered for their services, and may affect whether or not they pay out of pocket if they have a medical emergency during egg donation.

Handling Medical Bills as a Donor

For egg donors, the medical bills for the egg donation process are usually covered by the intended parents. As well, there is insurance cover provided in the event of any complications that may arise. While it is not compulsory for egg donors to have insurance, those who do have insurance do well to understand how much and for what aspects their plan covers. 

The costs incurred during the process of egg donation are covered by the intended parents. However, it is prudent to ensure that you have funds set aside that could come in handy for unexpected expenses. In the event that you spend out of pocket, these costs will be reimbursed to you.

Conclusion

By now it is clear that while the egg donation process tends to go smoothly from beginning to end, and while there is fair compensation at the end of the process, it is valuable to ensure that all bases are covered financially before beginning the process. If you would like to discuss egg donor insurance further, contact the professional team at San Diego Fertility Center.

FAQ

Are egg donors covered by insurance?

A majority of egg donation programs usually provide medical coverage to egg donors that caters for any complications.

What if I experience complications from egg donation?

While the egg donation is generally safe, if one experiences complications, the medical insurance provided for egg donation typically covers treatment for complications.