(Washington, D.C.) U.S. Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) today introduced bipartisan legislation to protect access to fertility treatments, including invitro-fertilization (IVF), for millions of Americans. The Helping to Optimize Patients’ Experience (HOPE) with Fertility Services Act, which is co-led by U.S. Representatives Lori Chavez-Deremer (OR-05), Debbie Wasserman Shultz (FL-25), and Susan Wild (PA-07), would require private health insurance plans to cover infertility treatment – helping alleviate this enormous financial burden.
“As a father of six, I’ll never have a more important title than ‘Dad.’ It breaks my heart that some folks struggle to start their families. Infertility used to be the end of the story, but now we have tools, like IVF and other fertility treatments, to help families grow,” said Rep. Nunn. “The commonsense HOPE with Fertility Services Act will ensure anyone struggling with infertility can start or expand their family.”
Infertility affects millions of Americans in the United States at some point in their life. Nearly 700,000 women in Iowa experience infertility according to RESOLVE, a leading infertility advocacy group. Difficulty conceiving can be caused by a variety of factors such as age, health conditions, and more. Some couples experience
Modern medicine can help couples start their families through IVF and other fertility treatments. In 2021, 86,146 infants born in the U.S. were conceived through the use of IVF. More than 800 babies in Iowa were born with the help of IVF or similar treatments.
Despite the fact that fertility is a common challenge for couples across the country, many insurance companies consider treatments that help couples conceive, like IVF, an “elective” procedure and cover very little, if any, of the care. A single IVF cycle can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000. Only 16 states require insurance to cover some portion of infertility treatment, and typically the coverage is not comprehensive.
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, or ERISA, sets the minimum standard for insurance coverage. As of right now, it doesn’t include any minimum standard for infertility care.
The bipartisan HOPE with Fertility Services Act amends ERISA to ensure three causes of infertility are covered by private insurance plans, including:
- Infertility due to a diagnosed disease or physical ailment that prevents the bringing of a child to full-term live birth;
- Unexplained infertility, such as a couple who cannot conceive after trying for at least 12 consecutive months; and
- Infertility or anticipated infertility due to a course of treatment for another ailment such as undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
