Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing 2020 - Where?

Kaldo

Hi all,

Regarding to the NIPT tests. Is the cost covered fully/partially by heath insurers?
If not, where would you recommend to do it plus cost?

lazygal

It wasn't covered by the vhi but we claimed part of the cost under the maternity cover part of the policy and the Revenue system. We paid €450 approx in Holles Street. I got a high risk result and needed amniocentesis which wasn't charged for.

Millem

Irish life health treat it as pathology so check your plan.
I got 50%. I got the panorama test done in the Rotunda for €450.

Kaldo

Very sorry to hear that. Did you get the Panorama or the most comprehensive Vistara NIPT? Do you remember the location of the one in Holles St?

Kaldo

NIPT treated as a pathology?

ucsie

Millem wrote: »

Irish life health treat it as pathology so check your plan.
I got 50%. I got the panorama test done in the Rotunda for €450.

That's great to know. I'm getting the harmony test this week and I couldn't see anything in my plan that sounded like a match so I didn't think it was covered at all.

Millem

Kaldo wrote: »

NIPT treated as a pathology?

If you are with Irish life health you claim the harmony/panorama test under pathology on your health insurance.

lazygal

Kaldo wrote: »

Very sorry to hear that. Did you get the Panorama or the most comprehensive Vistara NIPT? Do you remember the location of the one in Holles St?

We got the harmony test in the Merrion Clinic. Amniocentesis was done in the main hospital in the public clinic.

andreac

Millem wrote: »

If you are with Irish life health you claim the harmony/panorama test under pathology on your health insurance.

Hi Millem, im trying to send you a PM but it's saying your inbox is full I just have a query re claiming with Irish Life, that you might be able to help me with.

ucsie

andreac wrote: »

Hi Millem, im trying to send you a PM but it's saying your inbox is full I just have a query re claiming with Irish Life, that you might be able to help me with.

I claimed it recently as pathology test, if that helps. I got 50% back.

andreac

ucsie wrote: »

I claimed it recently as pathology test, if that helps. I got 50% back.

Im trying to do it like that but they keep saying it's declined. Do you mind me asking where you had the test? Was it the Coombe? The guy i spoke to said it could be that the invoice has prenatal screening on it and not necessarily Pathology, so i might need to see can they change the invoice to state Blood test/Pathology. Thanks

Kaldo

Irish Health is the only health insurance where you can claim it as Pathology Test.

andreac

Kaldo wrote: »

Irish Health is the only health insurance where you can claim it as Pathology Test.

yeah im trying to do that but they keep declining it saying its Pre/post natal medical expenses. But it could be the way it's worded on the invoice/statement.

ucsie

andreac wrote: »

Im trying to do it like that but they keep saying it's declined. Do you mind me asking where you had the test? Was it the Coombe? The guy i spoke to said it could be that the invoice has prenatal screening on it and not necessarily Pathology, so i might need to see can they change the invoice to state Blood test/Pathology. Thanks

I got it done in Merrion Fetal Health. I just checked the invoice and it says "Harmony prenatal test". It shows under my claims as "Pathology: Cost of test". Maybe it's the "screening" in your invoice that sounds very general, worth checking if they can issue a new invoice with a more specific description.

andreac

ucsie wrote: »

I got it done in Merrion Fetal Health. I just checked the invoice and it says "Harmony prenatal test". It shows under my claims as "Pathology: Cost of test". Maybe it's the "screening" in your invoice that sounds very general, worth checking if they can issue a new invoice with a more specific description.

Yeah im going to see will the hospital change the details for me. I also have the paperwork for the actual test itself which i think states Harmony so i might put that through as well. It's 200euro which i should be refunded so i don't want to let it go.

ucsie

Yeah, definitely try, it's not exactly cheap to let it go!

andreac

ucsie wrote: »

Yeah, definitely try, it's not exactly cheap to let it go!

No, definitely not!!

Millem

andreac wrote: »

Hi Millem, im trying to send you a PM but it's saying your inbox is full I just have a query re claiming with Irish Life, that you might be able to help me with.

Gosh sorry will delete some! Ring them and tell them. I got €225 back. I had words with them 2 weeks ago over my son’s tennis club membership and car seat receipt. They did pay out after I rang them and they said resubmit.

Millem

andreac wrote: »

Yeah im going to see will the hospital change the details for me. I also have the paperwork for the actual test itself which i think states Harmony so i might put that through as well. It's 200euro which i should be refunded so i don't want to let it go.

I will send you my receipt. It is typed saying NIPT then in brackets I got her to write in pen (scan and blood test).

In fairness to Irish life health they were the ones who told me to claim for it! I thought it was under foetal screening which vhi cover!! The morning of my appointment I rang them and they said yes it’s covered, submit under pathology.

Also when insurance was up for renewal I made sure to add maternity personal package to my husband’s plan. I then ordered the meals from
Gourmet fuel....you get a €95 voucher! Plus keep car/crèche receipts for day before, day of and day after birth....you can claim up to €30/€50 depending on your plan. There is no waiting period for maternity personalised packages!!
I am with vhi now so got the above under my husband’s plan!
Also you get to download gentle birth app. I found it good when I laboured at home but irritating when I was in absolute torture! But in fairness not having my husband there really upset me so maybe it is good in normal circumstances!!

andreac

Thanks Millem. Very helpful.

They just replied asking to clarify was it the Harmony Test (NIPT) and also proof of payment. I have submitted a statement to say it was paid, but i don't have any visa receipt, so i don't know if they need that, as i don't have one. Surely the statement from the hospital to show it was paid is enough??

bee06

andreac wrote: »

Thanks Millem. Very helpful.

They just replied asking to clarify was it the Harmony Test (NIPT) and also proof of payment. I have submitted a statement to say it was paid, but i don't have any visa receipt, so i don't know if they need that, as i don't have one. Surely the statement from the hospital to show it was paid is enough??

They won’t need the visa receipt

andreac

bee06 wrote: »

They won’t need the visa receipt

Yeah i was thinking they shouldn't need it as the hospital statement shows it was paid with visa/debit.

Millem

andreac wrote: »

Yeah i was thinking they shouldn't need it as the hospital statement shows it was paid with visa/debit.

I don’t have a visa receipt as I paid in cash. I can’t figure out how to send you this image so I will upload it here.

andreac

Thanks Millem. Im hoping by clarifying that it's the Harmony Test with them and the attached statement that it should be enough now. I feel like ive been going back and forth submitting the same thing over and over and getting nowhere!!

Millem

andreac wrote: »

Thanks Millem. Im hoping by clarifying that it's the Harmony Test with them and the attached statement that it should be enough now. I feel like ive been going back and forth submitting the same thing over and over and getting nowhere!!

So worth fighting it!!!

andreac

Millem wrote: »

So worth fighting it!!!

Bloody right. Plus it was only through here that i knew you could claim with posts from yourself and others.

cant26

andreac wrote: »

Bloody right. Plus it was only through here that i knew you could claim with posts from yourself and others.

I was the exact same. Didn’t realise it could be claimed under pathology until I saw it here. Mine said harmony test and got 50% back. Was a lovely surprise considering I just though it would be absorbed in the total amount to claim back under consultant costs. I find Irish life hard work to deal with!

cant26

Millem wrote: »

I will send you my receipt. It is typed saying NIPT then in brackets I got her to write in pen (scan and blood test).

In fairness to Irish life health they were the ones who told me to claim for it! I thought it was under foetal screening which vhi cover!! The morning of my appointment I rang them and they said yes it’s covered, submit under pathology.

Also when insurance was up for renewal I made sure to add maternity personal package to my husband’s plan. I then ordered the meals from
Gourmet fuel....you get a €95 voucher! Plus keep car/crèche receipts for day before, day of and day after birth....you can claim up to €30/€50 depending on your plan. There is no waiting period for maternity personalised packages!!
I am with vhi now so got the above under my husband’s plan!
Also you get to download gentle birth app. I found it good when I laboured at home but irritating when I was in absolute torture! But in fairness not having my husband there really upset me so maybe it is good in normal circumstances!!

Hi millem, off topic but just wondering what the meals were like from gourmet fuel?

Millem

cant26 wrote: »

Hi millem, off topic but just wondering what the meals were like from gourmet fuel?

Personally I didn’t like them and would not buy them. My husband likes the fact you can see all the nutritional info easily eg every lunch is 500kcals and every dinner is 600kcals. He had the mushroom and chicken creamy pasta. It randomly had loads of beans in it. The sauce was kind of spicy!!!
I have had the cottage pie which has a tomato based sauce The vegetarian noodles are ok but quite hot. The goats cheese salad was the best but had no dressing.

The rest are frozen but I did buy 3 cottage pies. The value of the voucher is €95. I bought mostly dinners and not the 5 snacks, lunches and dinners.

The sum up is they are trying to be fancy but the flavours are just wrong!!!
Give me the slimming world or weight watchers dinners any day!

andreac

Finally got the claim paid for the Harmony Test!! Took about 4 times submitting it and explaining what it was to finally get it. Thanks to all for their help and advice :-)

Millem

andreac wrote: »

Finally got the claim paid for the Harmony Test!! Took about 4 times submitting it and explaining what it was to finally get it. Thanks to all for their help and advice :-)

Good for you!

Jen Pigs Fly

I was told by my ob that I can get the harmony test if I want, however he said that cause of my age there is like a 1 in 500 chance and he left it up to me, for €450 I’m toying if I should or not? I was told I’m really low risk, so I think I’ll take my chances but I’ve a nagging feeling I should? Can I get it after my 20 weeks scan? I got a scan at 14weeks due to needing anti D and everything looked great and normal then.
So confused

andreac

Jen Pigs Fly wrote: »

I was told by my ob that I can get the harmony test if I want, however he said that cause of my age there is like a 1 in 500 chance and he left it up to me, for €450 I’m toying if I should or not? I was told I’m really low risk, so I think I’ll take my chances but I’ve a nagging feeling I should? Can I get it after my 20 weeks scan? I got a scan at 14weeks due to needing anti D and everything looked great and normal then.
So confused

It's totally up to you really. I think you can get it at at any stage of your pregnancy. You get a scan at it too. Plus you can find out the sex through the blood test if that was something you wanted to do.

gigglybits

Did anyone have their test done during the last major lockdown? Mine is next week, will phone to check in the morning.

cant26

gigglybits wrote: »

Did anyone have their test done during the last major lockdown? Mine is next week, will phone to check in the morning.

Yes. Had mine in April. No issues at all and had results back in a week.

lazygal

Jen Pigs Fly wrote: »

I was told by my ob that I can get the harmony test if I want, however he said that cause of my age there is like a 1 in 500 chance and he left it up to me, for €450 I’m toying if I should or not? I was told I’m really low risk, so I think I’ll take my chances but I’ve a nagging feeling I should? Can I get it after my 20 weeks scan? I got a scan at 14weeks due to needing anti D and everything looked great and normal then.
So confused

It's supposed to be done before a certain number of weeks AFAIK.

gigglybits

cant26 wrote: »

Yes. Had mine in April. No issues at all and had results back in a week.

Thanks. Phoned this morning. Test will go ahead next week.

CFC007

Sorry to drag up an old thread but are Irish Life still cover this?

posy2010

A heads up that most laya plans don’t cover foetal screening