M and I have been working on getting a disability insurance policy set up for me.  It’s been one of those things that has been on my list of things to do for some time, but we finally started the process a couple of months ago.  As the sole breadwinner for our household, and considering the (hopeful) possibility that I may get pregnant sometime in the future, we were motivated to seek out a financial counselor and get the ball rolling on this.  But the ball skidded to a stop yesterday.

The potential insurer has informed us that there will be a pregnancy exclusion on the policy–meaning that any complication or disability that arises as a result of a pregnancy will not be covered.  The company claims that this exclusion is based on the fact that I have “evidently gone through some fertility treatments” and “anytime you have these types of treatment, you will get a pregnancy rider.” 

(Trying to calmly write without making my blood pressure rise…)  First off, we haven’t gone through any fertility treatments, unless you count M’s sperm analysis, and my HSG and SSH (saline sonogram).  My understanding is that these are tests, not treatments.  But even aside from that, so what if we had started fertility treatments?  How in the world would that justify excluding me from disability protection were I to have a complication during any future pregnancy? 

This has made me so angry that I can hardly think about anything else.  It feels like another infertility punch in the gut.  And frankly, it strikes me as unfair (if not illegal) discrimination against those with infertility. 

Has anyone ever heard of something like this?  I am so shocked and angry that I haven’t had much time to research the issue.   A quick internet search only gave me information regarding insurance coverage for fertility treatments (as opposed to a disability exclusion for pregnancy resulting from infertility counseling or treatments). 

Of course, I have no intention of entering into a (costly) disability policy that won’t even cover a pregnancy complication.   A potential complication of pregnancy is a main factor driving me to get a disability policy in the first place.  Moreover, pregnancy complications, unexpected operations, etc. happen all the time to women who have no trouble conceiving.  I just don’t see how obtaining fertility treatments in any way justifies such a blanket exclusion. 

If anyone has any experience with this, or knowledge of disability exclusions generally, I would appreciate your input.  As of now, I’m in the process of describing our infertility struggle with my financial counselor (who is also a friend IRL), which is so very fun.  And the whole time I’m explaining that we have not had treatments, I’m incredibly angry and frustrated that such a thing even matters at all.

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