UPDATE - Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

I had it done yesterday and was told to call a company in 24hours. Dr. B said insurance would maybe pay for it but if they didn't it would be about $800.

Now bc I have Empire BCBS dirct hmo on the phone they're telling me 17k but they'll discount it for 3k!!!

I cannot afford that now for blood testing, has this happened to anyone else? I am on hold with them still but what the eff over 3k, why did I waste my time and blood?

The person who drew my blood knew my insurance.

Update at bottom...

Message edited 7/14/2011 12:20:57 PM.

Re: Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

No, that's BS. Did they give you the white paper that outlines the cost? The most it should be is about 800. I had such fights with Reprosource.

Re: Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

Yes they did and I dind't really read it because when it was presented to me it was just to call, now that I am looking at it it does say "no insurance" and "HMO" are on the same side above the "self pay" which says 4k and change below it.

They are going to be calling me back and do research, but I am probably closing on a house next week, I literally will not have money for that much for testing.

May as well save the money and go straight to IVF if I have to pay that much.

If I wasn't at work I'd be hysterical now.

Is there any other way I could get the test done with ym garbage insurance?

Re: Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

I thought if you paid it in 24 hours, they let you do it for the $800.

That's insane. Really.

Re: Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

Apparently not if you have a direct hmo like me.

I just don't get why it wouldn't be obvious to bring this to someone's attention before they give 30 viles of blood. The office and the blood taker all knew my insurance.

And I really need/want this test.

Re: Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

I would really try to work it out with Reprosource. Be very clear that you can't afford that and see what happens. Also, I would tell them you were under the impression that Dr. Braverman's office negotiated a discounted rate. I've heard of a few women getting somewhere with this.

GL!

Re: Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

The called Dr. B he said they tells paitents $800-10k, he did not mention that to me at all.

He said IF insurance won't cover it it'll be about $800.

On phone with them and am trying to work out a payment plan. By the time I have a baby it will have to wear rags at the rate I am going.

Re: Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

Re: Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

I do have GHI but that was the price without them billing the insurance at all. It was the price for GHI and out of pocket. Once I had GHI billed I actually got some money back after a big fight with management, so I actually paid closer to 500 after all was said and done. Please put up a fight. I think there was a poster who had a similar issue and got them to give it to her for the 800. I think I remember who but I don't want to put her name here.

Re: Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

I got the testing done with no additional payment needed from me. They took whatever the insurance company paid.

Re: Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

I only did half with Reprosource (the immune). I have POS and its OON. They said I pay the $450 contracted rate if I called within 24 hrs. The original is $2100 so if my ins paid anything over that 2100 with my 450, I'd get a refund. Dr B also told me $800 total (dor both immune and thrombo). I got the thrombo done at quest for free b/c I have free labs there and they can do that. They dont do the immune though. That's total BS that they didn't tell you! If immune is $2100 OOP, then where the heck are they getting 17K?!

Re: Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

It is ridiculous because with Dr. B he said max $800, then the nurse who took my blood did not mention cost at all, took my insurance info, my blood and gave me papers explaining ONLY how to call within 24 hours.

Only when I called did I look at the papers and what they are telling me IS what the papers say. Because I have a direct hmo, I am basically the same as having no insurance.

I was given the choice to cancel it all or work out a payment plan, the girl was SO nice to me. I am paying $500 for July and $250 a month till the end of the year and then hopefully paying off the rest in Jan and Feb.

If I didn't agree to it they were planning to cancel it because they didn't touch my blood. I am so drained with the stress of this and am at work.

I need/want this test because so far they can't find anything wrong with me that is preventing pregnancy so really this could be a crucial piece to determine treatment.

I am just going to focus on other things and cut back on extra spending and pretend this didn't just happen. I don't have the money now but don't have the energy to do anything else.

They called Dr. B and he personally said he tells people $800-10k, well he didn't to me, he said max $800, but he probably didn't realize about my insurance.

Re: Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

is there any way you can talk to margaret at dr bs?

this blows big time!
i paid the 800 and asked 20 times to make sure my ins was ok.
and yups reprosource said it would be something like 17k if i didnt have the agreement.

but please talk more to margaret bc this isnt fair to you at all ! and maybe if dr b personally knows he can do something?

Re: Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

that is such bull because if you had NO insurance at all it would have been $800. My insurance didnt pay then anything since it was out of network and I hadn't made the deductable by then. So all they got from me was the $450 for the half.

Can you cancel the thrombo and have it redone somewhere like quest? (If you are covered for labs)

Re: Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

I will call his office tomorrow, it is so hard to talk at work and they always put me on hold forever.

It is my understanding that if I had no insurance it would be the same as what I am paying now.

Re: Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

I think Reprosource is extremely unprofessional. I had a lot of issues with them. I paid to have them come to my house to draw blood...that was a disaster, and the nurse was lazy and tried to skip a few steps bc she didnt bring enough vials. Needless to say they ended up not getting everythig they needed and had to come back another time. Then we had a ton of unexpected bills, after numerous phone calls with billing who said we were all paid.


All of my blood and DH's bloodwork to reprosource. I had BCBC ( so I was suppose to be completely covered under my insurance)...I also had a co-insurance. Then my Dh had guardian which basically paid the entire rate they were charging. As well, we paid some amount of money upfront. But for months we would get pone calls, and bills, requesting more money. They even somehow submitted my bill to my co-insurance and getting EVEN additional money. Yet they still would submit claims to insurance a year later. FINALLY about 14 months later ( just 2 weeks ago). We GOT A REFUND CHECK OF $700 dollars sent to us for overpayment. It took them over a year to figure everything out.


I would def call Dr B and have him deal with this. He is a very large customer of their's andshoudl resolve this for you.

Re: UPDATE - Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

Girls thank you so much!!!

I called Dr. B and spoke with him myself. He admitted the mistaking in telling me around $800 and is calling the head Dr. there to see if they can at least get it down a lot.

I am sto stupid I just sort of accepted it and am so thankful you convinced me to call!!!

Re: UPDATE - Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

Good. I've been legitimately upset about this because Reprosource makes me so mad. I feel like they are taking advantage of vulnerable woman.

Re: UPDATE - Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

I had my immune panels drawn at my IVF lab and sent to Rosalind Franklin in Chicago. i didn't pay OOP at all

Re: UPDATE - Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

i also have issues with reprosource billing. first they charged me the $450 "insurance" that is suppose to cover the entire panel in the case that the insurance company doesnt. well my insurance company DID cover the entire panel and i still havent gotten my $450 refund for a panel completed in June 2010. now yesterday i looked at my medical claims and saw a $558 claim that isnt being covered from Reprosource for the repeat immune panel that I had done in November after my BFP. according to all other paperwork that claim was paid for LONG ago. if i receive a bill for that (which im sure i will) I'm going to flip out...

Re: UPDATE - Dr. B Fertility Panel Testing

Just everyone keep in mind I have a direct hmo which is actually the cause for this. I am switching to my companies insurance end of year so I won't have issues like this.

Basically I spoke witht he head Dr. from the lab, he asked me not to tell anyone the deal we came to. I will say it isn't wonderful but it is a lot better than 4k. I am still paying a lot, but there is nothign else they can do besides destroy my blood and I want these tests now.

They did ask me a lot of questions about how to improve their procedures and I just said make sure people know before you take their blood!

I said to the nurse Empire BCBS Direct hmo, that should have set off a warning to her.

So basically I feel a lot better then what it could have been. I cannot believe all of you have had such issues! It's so extra bad to have on top of all of our other issues we have.

Thanks for your help, seriously I would have just accepted it without.