Show & Tell: The Price is Right Fertility Meds

Welcome to my contribution to Mel's Show and Tell.

Today I'd like to share a recent trip to the pharmacy for the medication I picked up for in an upcoming cycle. Little did I know that as I walked into the doors of the pharmacy I became a contestant in "The Price is Right".

It’s a true story. I’m not making it up I promise. Can you hear the music? Da dun dun daaa... Da dun dun daaaa…”Welcome to The Price is Right!” Here’s my nametag.

See proof?! I submitted my prescriptions at the drop off and waited in the comfy chairs. A few moments later, I hear from a deep voice, “Liv! – Come-on-down!”

The spotlights are dancing around, I hear a room full of applause as I make my way to the front.

Congratulations Liv, you are our next contestant in the Fertility Meds Price is Right game. We want you to take a look at this whole set of medications and you need to guess the total price. You have to be as close as possible without going over to be a winner.

Okay. I’ll give it a shot.Well, let’s see there’s Ov.idrel…I’ve had that before. And there’s two Gona.l-F pens. What dosage are they?

900iu’s. With 28 accompanying 29 gauge needles.

Alrighty. Looks like there are also some “supplements” of the extra supplementing kind. Oh, and I can’t forget about the sharps container right?

Oh, she’s a smart one! Isn’t that right audience?! Yes! Whistles, yells, and applause. Do you think you have your guess? Okay then. Here right it down…I nervously do the calculations in my head. Taking my pencil and writing in the air with my toungue sticking out of the side of my mouth. And then just like all the rest of the contestants I add a ’99 to the end.

Audience, do you think Liv has it?! YES!!!! More whistles, yells and applause.

Here’s my answer:

Then I hear the audience gasp simultaneously. Too high! That’s gotta be too high! They say.

Liv are you sure? You know if it’s too high you loose.

Well, that’s my final answer. (Wait…wrong game show. Oh, well)

The pharmacist (I mean game show host) slowly opens the envelope with the answer. The actual price of all of this medication comes to…

$1296…(pause)

More audience gasping…

99!

There’s an uproar of cheers!

Congratulations Liv! You’ve won! And here’s your prize – You get all of this fertility medication free!

::: :::

Yup. Folks…that’s exactly what happened, I’m not making this up. I paid $0 for my $1296.99 of meds. Insurance picked up the tab. Well, I should say there is one thing that didn’t happen as I described.

I paid $3.99 for the sharps container.

Who else wants to open a bottle of champagne to celebrate?!

::: :::

I am not making light of the fact that this is kind of insurance coverage is extremely hard to come by. I’m very thankful for it. I work for a large employer that just happens to be based out of a state with mandated infertility coverage. Even though I don't live in that state. Year to date I’ve paid $4000 and hit my out of pocket maximum and this is why it was $0.

It’s just something worth celebrating no? No be sure to check on what the rest of the class is celebrating.