This is in California. I have attached an image of the message they sent us today. 

My wife (43f) and I (44m) went through IVF last October. At the time, my wife had been laid off 6 months prior and she was on the last month of COBRA. Our healthcare coverage (via COBRA) ended on Oct 31 2024. We were conscious of the end of our coverage and made sure to complete all necessary actions in October. The egg retrieval was Oct 26 2024. 

Currently, my wife and I are both employed again and, combined, we gross approximately $150K annually.

Yesterday we were sent a bill for the entire IVF process we went through in October 2024 because, according to the insurance claim, the clinic billed the insurer on Nov 1 2024, and therefore (this is what we were told over the phone this morning) the entire bill must be paid by us out of pocket and will not be covered by insurance. 

We got on the phone with the insurance provider this morning and they said they would look into a rebill that itemizes the process and what was done in October vs on Nov 1. They sent us this message now saying it’s not possible because rebilling must be done within 1 calendar year and it would take them 6 weeks to rebill. 

Considering all factors, what options do we have now. Obviously, we cannot afford a $17K bill and it seems beyond ridiculous that we are charged at all let alone that they can’t rebill because they take 6 weeks after waiting 11 months to even inform us of the bill! 

Do we need to speak to a lawyer? Would that even be worth the cost? What can we do? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. 

EDIT: I misunderstood. We have been speaking to the Clinic that provided the service. Not the insurance company. The clinic sent us the bill and the message in the image, denying our itemized rebill request. 

EDIT 2: Nevermind. I'm sorry, I'm a bit overwhelmed. It was the fertility insurance that we spoke to. It's a little confusing because there's the insurance company and then a separate fertility provider. I called the clinic for the first time now and they said they'd get back to me tomorrow because the financial team is off for the day already. 

EDIT 3:

Okay, so I found the bill now, which they are calling a "cost letter" not a bill, and it says on the letter that it's a quote, not a bill. We first found out about this whole issue late last night through an in-app message that said:

>Hi \[wife's name\]

>Hope all is well. I have uploaded a cost letter for services rendered 11-1-24. \[Insurance\] has retracted payment due to not being covered at the time. Total balance due is $17,136. Please make this payment at your soonest convenience. Please let me know if you have any questions.

>Best, \[first name only\]

I now see the actual "cost letter" and the essential info is:

>This is an itemized list associated with your current treatment plan as discussed with your physician.

>In Vitro Fertilization Quote:

>Phase 1: Embryology lab services (inclusive)  
\- Thawing  
\- Oocyte thaw  
\- Sperm thaw  
\- Sperm cryopreservation  
\- ICSI  
\- Hatching  
\- Culture of embryos up to 6 days  
\- Sample for PGS/PGD  
\- Shipping of samples  
\- Molecular analyses  
\- Zymot  
\- Cryopreservation of embryos

>Subtotal - $17,136

>TOTAL - $17.136

There are no prices on any item, just the subtotal and total. The bill is dated 9/30/2025 and says "Fee is due before the lab can begin the oocyte thaw process (phase1)" and "Quote is valid until 12/31/25" at the end.

Need advice regarding insurance bill that arrived yesterday, charging us $17k for a single day of lapsed coverage almost a year ago