Family Endurance Because of Insurance

Aubrey B. and her boyfriend Khris became TNAA travelers not necessarily to see the countryside, though that is a plus. Instead, they were most interested in TNAA’s benefits – benefits that can help them start a family.

“It means the world to me to have this coverage,” Aubrey said. “[If it weren’t for TNAA’s coverage,] I don’t think we would be in the spot we are in now or be able to have a family any time soon.”

Aubrey, a PICU nurse, and Khris, an ICU nurse, decided to start a family in mid-2020. After doing fertility testing, they were told it could be challenging to have a family together. So, doctors advised them to start in vitro fertilization (IVF), a process that can be emotionally, physically, and financially overwhelming. 

Each cycle of IVF can cost between $15,000 to $30,000, and many times, couples go through multiple cycles. Aubrey and Khris were concerned they couldn’t afford IVF as staff nurses, so they explored a different approach.

“Khris always wanted to be a travel nurse, but I am more of a homebody,” Aubrey joked. Still, it was an adventure she was willing to take.

TNAA’s Insurance Coverage

Aubrey researched travel nursing agencies and learned about TNAA’s insurance plans. When it comes to infertility-covered services, we are proud to say our insurance plans have an unlimited lifetime maximum – a benefit many companies don’t offer. Our infertility-covered services include lab and radiology testing, counseling, surgical treatment, artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization, and more. 

After learning more about TNAA, they were convinced. The couple started as TNAA travel nurses in March 2021, and Aubrey began IVF while on assignment in New Hampshire.

She’s already endured so much on her IVF journey. It’s included hormone shots, a mild case of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, egg retrievals, a hysteroscopy, driving hours for appointments, coordinating shift changes with coworkers, and lots of waiting. She’s also given her love to two rainbow babies. Despite the hardships, Aubrey and Khris are full of hope.

“I’m very focused on looking forward to the next thing. Like, what’s the next step?” Aubrey said. “As long as I know that there’s a next step, I’m okay.”

Opening Up About IVF

IVF, miscarriage, and infertility are topics Aubrey believes are necessary to talk about because many couples suffer in silence.

“I just like to talk about it and try to help other people,” Aubrey said. “I’m at the age where a lot of my friends are pregnant or experiencing infertility.”

The Mayo Clinic says roughly 20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, but that number could be higher when taking unknown pregnancies into account as well. When it comes to fertility treatment, the Pew Research center states approximately 33% of U.S. adults have undergone treatment or know someone who has.

The Next Step

As Aubrey and Khris await their third egg transplant, they look forward to the family they will one day have – a travel nursing family.

“Whether it happens this time or it happens in a year or even later than that, I know I’ll be a mom,” Aubrey stated.

In the meantime, she’s taking every day as a blessing.

“You give yourself many injections, your body goes through a lot, and you take so many hormones,” she explains. “But it’s all there for a reason. So, I just try to think it will all be worth it in the end.”

And she’s thankful for TNAA’s insurance, which covered more than $70,000 of her medical bills last year alone.

TNAA’s Benefits

This isn’t the only story of how lives and families have been changed because of the travel industry. Relationships are at the core of TNAA’s company values. Our comprehensive benefits package keeps the traveler and their loved ones in mind. Whether you’re traveling solo, with a family, while trying to start a family, or after celebrating the stage of life after raising a family, TNAA is here to support you and bring our community together every step of the way. To learn more about TNAA’s insurance options, read our Benefits Guide or email [email protected] with any questions. Our specialists can explain how your insurance coverage works so that your family can take full advantage of your plan.

We’re also happy to offer our travelers mental well-being resources to help them through life’s challenges. These resources include First Stop Health, a free service connecting you or anyone in your household to a licensed counselor. This resource is available for all of our travelers and corporate employees, and you don’t need to have TNAA’s insurance to access it.