$30,000? How can that be?

$30,000? How could the tragic loss of a baby boy result in a family needing $30,000. It didn't make sense to me. We have health insurance, surely that would pay for things. $30,000, that's a great deal of money. We couldn't possible need that much money. That number kept going through my mind. When I looked at the individual pieces I realized the figure was true. There are basically three pieces to that number. Aiden's medical expenses, his funeral expenses and the cost of IVF (in vitro fertilization).

Since we have medical insurance, Aiden's bills are "only" $5,200. That's right $5,200 with medical insurance. How could that be so, we have insurance. Well there is the $1,000 deductible and and it is an 80/20 plan. "Luckily" the 20% copay is capped at $3,000. So now we're at $4,000. Insurance companies pay what is common and acceptable according to their rate schedule. Any amount in excess of common and acceptable becomes our responsibility, so that added another $1,224. Total Aiden medical bills...$5,224

Funeral expense. Talking about your 11 month old son and funeral expenses in the same sentence is just wrong. Here again the expenses were less than they could have been. The church and the funeral home provided their services for free. However, it seems there is always other expenses. We had the newspaper announcements, burial plot, infant urn and bronze grave marker. Add it up...$2,978.

Now we get to the big bucks. IVF. After Aiden's birth we figured we were all set as a family of four so Kathy had a tubaligation. Since this was a voluntary procedure we are not eligible for infertility benefits which would have covered IVF expenses. The initial IVF procedure is $13,000 plus the require fertility drugs which we're told will be between $3,000-$5,000 depending on how Kathy responds to the drugs. So call it $4,000. Then more than likely a 2nd cycle will be require which will add another $5,000. IVF budget...$22,000

Add it all up and you come to $30,202. Daunting but we'll make. We have lots of great people supporting us