ivf claim back option and no safety net claim

Hi guys just wondering if anyone knows the difference between the claim back options and no safety net claim option??

im going through westmead fertility centre

if anyone can shed any light please let me no :)

thanks in advance

xxLisaxx

hey lisi, iv just started my 2nd STIM through westmead too :) (i went through IVF austarlia for my 1st one so all new for me too) Egg pickup should be end of nov for me. About the cost im not 100% sure about it but we are going with the no claim back option so we will be paying $1450 but get nothing back, with the claim back option i think in the long run after the medicare rebate you would prob be a few hundred better off in the end but for DH and i we just dont have $5000 at the moment so the no claim opion is best for us. I hope this helps xx

I have already had 1 bubba with westmead fertility centre...they are brilliant :)
the non claim back price $1450 you get zero back
the claimable $5k you pay and you obviously go over the threshold and from what i gather you will get the % back on the 'over the threshold' amount and you could also possibly claim in your tax as it is a medical expense over $1500.00 ring the nurses they will explain everything to you over the phone.

I am off to our FS next month hoping to start another cycle in December :)

Katasone is it correct that even with the no claim back option you can still claim on tax, aslong as you go over $1500? And i aslo have another question for u i hope you dont mind? With westmead do they allow the embryo's to get to day 5? i just recieved my paper work and it says embryo transfer is 2 or 3 days after egg collection? this concerns me becasue i know the day 5 embryo's have a better success rate and with my first stim i got 4 five day blasties. Thanks xx

thanks so ,uch guys :) this jas made my day as there is now way i can afford $5000 atm but $1450 sounds great!!! what are the other costs involved? i just want to be fully prepared when i go in :)

also arent we allowed to put links on here?

Hey lisi, im glad we could help :) im not sure about the links? maybe not. The other costs involved are if your having lucrin like me insted of the synarel spary its $200 (the synarel spray is included but i had the lucrin last time and that worked good for me so im sticking with it) the egg collection op and aenethitst are free as its attached to the public hospital and they also do embryo freezing for free (my other clinic charged me $275 for 6 months!!) i also have to pay for my ultrasound on the central coast as its too far for me to travel but if your in syd and have it at the clinic its included. Hope this helps. When will you be starting?

No links to commercial sites/businesses or other parenting forums.
:)

We went through westmead IVF in june/july this year and chose the no claim back option we paid $1450 up front and after our cycle was completed and we sent the medicare check to them westmead sent us a check for $750 so it only cost us $700 all up

yes as far as my accountant told me hun as long as you go over the $1500 (but hey my accountant ;) is DH uncle ) with the blastocyst hun (day 5 ) you would have to speak to your FS i know of afew girls who have had day 5 blasties transferred

i don't understand HOW it cost you $700 someething definatly went wrong there UNLESS you were already over your threshold with medicare??? because with our last cycle we recieved the medicare cheque which was sent back to the fertility centre and that was it...we were out of pocket the $1450 or did you claim with your healthfund??

Thanks katones, i mean if thats the way they work i dont mind but i got good results last time so id prefer 5 day blasties over 2-3 day old ones :) Yeah im a bit confused too ferrals? cause its a no claim back option? it would be great to get half back though, this is our 2nd STIM cycle this year and also we have done 3 frozen ones so maybe it is something to do with the threshold? :)

wow thanks for all the info guys :) this is great!! We gonna wait til xmas etc is over and prob go talk to them again in feb :) my dr dated my referral 31/12/10 so i can use it next year :) im so excited now!!!even if
we have to go a few times it is now affordable yay :)
what side affects etc did u guys have from this?

Sounds great lisi :) i wish u all the best for next yr then! I was lucky and didnt really get any side effects, the only thing i found was that the week of transfer i was really down, i rang the nurse and she said it is very normal because of all the hormones that had been pumped into my system but after a few days i felt better. It is great westmead is so affordable becasue most arn't that cheap, for my first STIM with IVF austarlia it cost me $9500 and i only got $5000 of that back and the frozen cycles cost me $2500. Goodluck with verything xx

we are off to see our FS next month (the 18th) and hoping we get the go-ahead to start a cycle ASAP.... AF is due afew days after our appointment so fingers crossed we can start then :) if not it will be december/january
we only got 2 eggs out in our first cycle both fertilised but only 1 embryo survived...one of the nurses there tried to talk me out of it prior to egg pick up but our FS said "ÿou only need 1" and that 1 embie split and it was a twin pregnancy but sadly we lost our other bubba at 5 12 weeks gestation :(

Wow goodluck then katones :) its exciting once it all gets started again. I am sorry you lost your baby, its hard isn't it. It was lucky the nurse didnt talk you out of it. You were so lucky to get your baby out of your first attempt, its nice to hear stories of it working out first go for some people. I am still in a blur as to why my DH and i are still trying to concieve number 1 after 4 attempts! i just never thought it would take this long. I have a good feeling about this next STIM but iv been hurt to many times and i dont want to be let down again so im trying to keep focused on other things. My sister is having a cesarian on the 19th nov which is her first and im having the day off to be there and im so excited. And christmas is always a good focus :) i am hoping for a christmas suprise, it would be the best gift ever. Anyway take care xx

Katones-we were over our medicare threshold but they didnt know that they just said when you pay the $1450 and once we recieve the medicare check we give you $750 back and that is exactly what they did so we got pregnant off our 1st go and it only cost $700 we did not claim it back through medicare it was westmead that sent us the check ask them about it maybe you have to be over the threshold to get it im not sure.

Wow I have to say this is all quite confusing, I'm going to a free info night with Monash IVF here in Townsville on the 25NOV10, so hopefully they will be able to give us some straight answers then

i just booked in with dr smith at westmead on the 11th feb 2011 :) so excited but so nervous!! did any of you try clomid before ivf and if so did u get side affects from that?? i did it for 3 months but stopped responding :( also on the site it says 1450 but meds might cost more.. how expensive r meds or its that only if u need extra??

I paid nothing extra for meds except orgalutran as it was not on the PBS list at the time i did my cycle but i was told it went on the list in August so it should be in the total cost now i think the website info is a little miss leading i was expecting to pay extra for meds but even the crinone was covered i think it might depend on what meds you might need.

lisi ~ hun Dr howard smith is EXCELLENT!!!!! he is my FS and he is the one that said ÿou only need 1"and i am soo thankful we listened to him :)

As far as i know the only extra cost for meds is if your going to use lucrin instead of synarel spray, i used lucrin for my first stim and i responded really well to it so i want to take it again so i need to pay $200 on top of the $1450 and im pretty sure thats the only extra cost, all other meds are included x

Hey lisi i just had my first appointment with westmead today to pick up meds and i also am getting back $500 off westmead like ferrals :) it would have been $700 but this is my 2nd STIM this yr so its not as much but im still supper stoked with that. I think you said your not far from the clinic but i also get some money off the gov to help with travel costs (if you live 100 kms away or more) im so happy with that. Hope all is going well, 11th of feb will come around so quick :) i was on clomid for my last frozen cycle with my first STIM but it was only to help my body with progesterone levels, i didnt have any side effects with it though xx

ok so i got an earlier app and went and spoke to dr smith btw OMG he is amazing!!!!!! just wondering about when they take the eggs out. as they just heavily sedate you do u feel it and do u remember it?

hey lisi im glad you got an earlier appointment! iv heard DR Smith is good. i dont want to scare you as everyone is different and the nurse told me most ppl go to sleep but with my first clinic i was put to sleep which was great but iv just had my EPU with westmead on tuesday last week and i was awake for the whole thing and hated it, it felt like i was in pain and could feel the needle go in but the nurse told me when your half out of it you can mistake pain for pressure. But like i said everyone responds differently, goodluck with it all i hope you get your BFP first go xxxxxx

oneday, i am terrified of this. im am scared of needles as it is we havent even set a date to start yet and im having night mares!! my friend says she was heavily sedated and doesnt remember anything but I am totally freaked :( also did u do the 2 injections or nasal spray and injections??

Don't stress you will be ok, the nurse told me that most women do fall asleep especially with their first or 2nd time using that kind of drug. I was on lucrin and then puregon so two injections, its really not as bad as you think it will be, i hate needles (still can't watch the nurse take blood lol but i cant even count on my hands how many times iv administered injections on my self!) but it really is easy and dosn't hurt. Keep positive and an open mind and you will be fine xxx

yeah i think ill hv to get my hubby to do them.. im i totally scxared of the big needle to get the eggs out! im having mightmares i wish i never saw pics lol!

Hi Ladies, I have read all your posts and am SOOO happy I did, I have been ttc for 2 years now naturally and then with Clomid and lastly IUI none worked. We had a bit of a break as it was getting too much but have started back up again. I have done some ringing around and since I'm close to Westmead made an appointment with Dr Gayer but havent heard anything about her, after your comments about Dr Smith I may try getting an appointment with him. He sounds very positive. I was with Next Gen Fertility and didnt find my FS very nice or helpful, first and only meeting I had with her she told me I should weigh what I weighed when I was 15yrs old!! HELLO I'm not obese by any means but what girl (most of us) dont gain a few kilos here or there?? Anyways didnt have much contact with her after that it was all up to the nurses so it was a little cold and heaps more expensive then Westmead IVF, I realised after the fact that I spent more on having IUI at that clinic then if I'd had IVF at Westmead.
Anyways just wanted to thank all of you for your positive feedback and if I dont get an appointment with Dr Smith earlier I will wait to see the other doctor at the end of March!
Can someone pls advise the process for IVF, I know they have to remove eggs but are you asleep when they do it, do they give you a general?
What happens when they implat them are you sleep then too? Is your DH allowed in with you on both occasions?
Would I need to take time off work after both of them? What time in your cycle do you get the eggs removed? Do you wait till your next cycle to then have them implanted?
Sorry 101 q's but if anyones out there and can help on Australia day would be much appreciated :)
All the best to you ALL!

Hi mia and goodluck :) Im currently doing my 2nd STIM cycle with westmead so i can help you out. I did 1 STIM cycle with IVF australia on the central coast (i got 4 embryo's so i had 4 transfers in total there) but due to financial reason we could no longer afford to go there so we swapped to westmead as the price is ALOT cheaper. I done my first STIM cycle there in nov/dec 2010 i got 20 eggs, 5 fertilised but only 1 made it to the Blastocyst stage so i had the one transfered but unfortunetly it didnt work so here i am again doing my 3rd STIM cycle in total. My DR there is DR Tong whom i think is great but i have heard DR Smith is good also but to be honest with you you dont see much of your refering DR anyways, the DR that does your egg collection and tranfer is what ever DR is on that day so i wouldnt be too concerned as to who you see.

With my old clinic you were put to sleep for the egg collection (which i prefered) but with westmead they dont put you to sleep but most woman do fall asleep anyway with the general, your partner isnt able to come in with you for your egg collection, he will drop you off and go give his sample and he will be called to come get you once you are right to go (my DH just waited in the car and had a sleep).

You will need the day off for your egg collection and i advise you take the day off after also as there can be some discomfort and i also take transfer day off but you dont have to if you dont want to. They dont put you to sleep for this it is very much the same as a papsmear, you dont feel anything and its very quick. DH can go with you for this.

Depending if you go on a antagonoist or long down reg cycle this will determine when your eggs are collected but its usually around 2-3 weeks after you start your medication, and the embryo goes back in 2 or 5 days after egg collection (depending on how long you grow your embryos) if you only get 5 or less eggs that fertilise they will advise you to do a day 2 transfer.

I really hope this helps, if you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask xxx.

i hve just had egg pick up yesturday with WFC and the sedation they use is known as 'twilight'sedation, pretty much smashed me...i was out for afew hours afterwards...hehehehehe

Thanks SO much Oneday and Katones :hug: I feel SO much more prepared to go through it all now. I had IUI last May and that was done without any sedation and was similar to a pap smear which wasnt too bad. I think I will def take atleast the egg removal day off because knowing me I will prob be knockd out hahahaha

Oneday I really hope it all goes well for you on your third go :loveshower:
Funny how different places have got such variance in cost huh?! I saw Dr Fong on the website, so on the day who did you get? One of those doctors or someone random??

Katones :hello: great to know I'm prob one of the ones that would be totally knocked out hahaha Ive never been to hospital or had any sort of sedation so it will be a very new experience for me. Did you have Dr Smith on your egg collection? Not sure if DH is going to feel comfortable with a man seeing all my bits but hey we girls have to go through a lot and if he's good I dont mind. ALL the best of luck hopefully I'm as lucky as you ;)

Im glad it helped :) to be honest with you i dont know what DRs i hade im sure they introduced them selves to me but i cant remember but neither were DR Tong and to me i dont mind who does it as long as they are trained in what they do which they are so thats all that matters i think cause at the end of the day it comes down to the egg and sperm that will give you a baby. Goodluck xxxx

So VERY true Oneday :D all the very best to you aswell hopefully 2011 is all our year!!

Hi Girls,
I just wanted to say hello,
I found your thread via google. I've been trying find feedback about Westmead and Dr Tong as ive just made my first appoinment for 21st march. Its a 5 hour trip for us :-( so not sure how its going to work with the monitoring.
Been trying ttc for 4 years and have finally convinced DP we need help.

Can I ask a personal question, I was curious about your own infertility causes?

Mine in secondary as I have 3 teenage children, 18, 15, 13.
I am 38 and have clockwork cycle and to me just think its a case of age and poor quality eggs... but then I dont really know either :D
Looking forward to hearing from you.