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How much does it cost for stem cell banking?
The price of a private bank can reach 3,000 euros. In this case, having a health insurance with a company will mean a great reduction in cost, in addition to having your support at all times. For example, in MAPFRE the service costs 1,190 euros if you decide to keep only blood and if you add tissue, 1,515 euros, while in Adeslas you can do it for 1,590 euros and, with blood and tissue for 1,890 euros. Sanitas offers the service for 1,690 euros. These companies assume annual maintenance fees, although other insurers require payments per year.
AXA, for example, includes it as a guarantee of its reimbursement policy, for which reason the company undertakes to reimburse part of the expenses of the extraction kit and the maintenance fees to the insured who contract this service with their arranged banks.
Caser, which has three different modalities depending on whether you want to keep only blood or blood and tissue, raises different rates for them. The most basic cryo-conservation, Biocord First, costs 1,690 euros, but if you are insured from Caser, you have a discount of 200 euros. In Adeslas, which also offers three modes, raises prices ranging from 1,590 euros to 2,790 euros.
In addition, some companies assume annual quotas for the conservation of stem cells. Typically, conservation is determined for a period of between 20 and 30 years. We must emphasize that the sample is property of the parents until the age of majority of the child, moment in which it happens to be his. In this way, nobody can dispose of it.
Is cord blood banking covered by insurance?
There are several entities that count among their services with the cryopreservation of umbilical cord stem cells. It is a complete method that goes from the extraction kit, to the personalized shipment to the bank with guarantee of processing and conservation, to the help for medical expenses in case of future transplantation.
It is a question of offering to the insured an economic price both in the extraction and in the quotas during the years that the sample is stored in the bank with which they have the agreement. As with any other coverage, you may find some differences in how they offer you in different health policies this service and what exactly is included in it. Expanding the small print it is possible to know what we can expect from each company if we want to enjoy this benefit.
It is also necessary to indicate that there are companies that do not contemplate the cryopreservation as a guarantee more of their policies, but they do allow their insured to accede to that service at franchised prices, thanks to the concerts that they establish with clinics. It is the case of FIATC and its Club health and of Adeslas with its platform Adeslas is more. The maintenance of the umbilical cord is only, in these cases, one of the many services related to the health and well-being that the insured can enjoy at special prices.
The cryopreservation service in Adeslas
Adeslas has agreements with three leading companies in the cryo-conservation sector, so it has three alternatives so you can choose the one that best suits your needs. Therefore, when you are assured of adeslas you will have discounts and special services in each of the companies associated with Adeslas. On the other hand, the coverages that are included are:
- Extraction kit
- Shipping
- Processing and conservation
- Advice
- Help medical expenses in case of transplant
AXA: umbilical cord conservation
AXA, for its part, has an agreement with four Collaborating Banks to provide this service to its insured persons, in the form of reimbursement. Thus, AXA covers 50% of the cost of initial Kit, processing and freezing with a limit of 650 euros, which the customer receives in the form of a refund. The customer is also reimbursed 80% of the annual maintenance cost with a limit of 70 euros.
Conservation of stem cells in MAPFRE
MAPFRE includes it in its Supra Sanitary Assistance insurance modality. Through the guarantee of Cryopreservation of umbilical cord blood stem cells (SCU) and umbilical cord tissue (TCU), MAPFRE is committed to maintaining blood and cord tissue in a blood bank for 20 years. cells for therapeutic use, running with storage and maintenance costs. It is covered:
- The sanitary material for the collection of the sample.
- Its processing to determine if it is viable (but, specify, “after payment of the franchises agreed in the policy”)
Freezing the umbilical cord in Sanitas
Sanitas also offers it to any interested person, covering maintenance in a private cell bank, up to a maximum of 30 years . The collection of the sample is carried out in one of the 120 specialized clinics (between own and concerted) that are part of its network. The company provides parents with a collection kit that they must take to the hospital at the time of delivery and deliver to the gynecology team. Sanitas is responsible for transportation to the laboratory to proceed with conservation.
Caser: Umbilical cord and stem cell conservation coverage
Caser does the same through its platform + Benefits, with a lower price for its insured but free access to other people seeking this service, even if they do not have a health policy with the company. But it stands out from the competition by offering three different modalities for this service:
- First: only umbilical cord blood is preserved
- Advanced: fragmented cord tissue included
- Proficiency: cells isolated from cord tissue are added.
What procedure does health insurance follow?
Parents who want to freeze and save cord blood stem cells should contact the specialized collaborating companies at least two months before the expected date of delivery. In the process, three distinct phases are distinguished:
Before delivery: It is time to formalize the request, contacting the insurer that provides this guarantee through health insurance to request the service. In addition, it is important to inform and consult the gynecologist of the patient’s interest in conserving umbilical cord stem cells. A consent and a contract must be signed (a copy will go to the insurance company). Those interested, then, will receive the extraction kit along with the instructions for the family and the health personnel. The kit is associated with insurance, to protect your transport.
In the delivery: We must take the extraction kit to the delivery room and give it to the medical staff. Subsequently, the documentation must be completed in its entirety and ensure that the packaging in which the umbilical cord sample is found is correct. Finally, we will call the courier service, following the instructions, to organize the collection and transport of the sample to the laboratory of destination, according to the chosen company.
After delivery: Once the sample arrives at the corresponding laboratory (the usual period is less than 48 hours), the viability of the test is checked with the relevant analyzes. Finally, in a few days, the results are communicated to the parents. It is time to inform the insurer and request authorization for conservation. Once the company has approved it, the collected sample is sent for final storage in the cell bank, at the expense of the insurer that provides this coverage.