Important Info Before Changing Insurance

End-of-Year Open Enrollment for Health Insurance

Shady Grove Fertility would like to provide you with information regarding your insurance and how it may impact your treatment with us. For patients who are, or may, change insurance at year end, please note the following important points:

  1. You must advise us when your insurance information changes. Treatment may have to be placed on hold if your insurance changes and we are not advised in a timely manner. SGFC employees cannot advise you on which plan to choose. More tips on choosing your benefits...
  2. Even if your insurance company stays the same, your employer may purchase different benefits affecting your plan. We encourage you to independently re-confirm your benefits with your employer prior to starting treatment. Please also present your insurance card to Patient Services so that we may help assist you with benefit verification.
  3. Your new or updated insurance plan will not allow Shady Grove Fertility to verify your benefits until they are in place with your insurance company. This does not happen until the start of the new calendar year or later. You may have proof of eligibility given to you by your employer but until your benefits are actually loaded in your insurance plan’s system, we cannot access nor obtain fertility benefits or obtain authorizations on your behalf. Timing of new treatment cycles for the early week(s) after the first of the new year have proven from experience to be particularly problematic.
  4. Many insurance companies require pre-authorization to cover treatment. If you wish to utilize your insurance coverage, then treatment can only begin after we have obtained the necessary pre-authorizations. Some health insurance plans may take up to one month to process treatment authorization once received!

If you plan on starting a treatment cycle in January 2010, Shady Grove Financial Staff will help assist you with benefit verification and obtaining treatment authorizations. Please keep in mind we must work with and through your insurance plan to obtain benefits and authorizations, and there may be delays on their part in processing insurance changes and registering new enrollees.

 

Please keep this important information in mind as you prepare for the New Year.