MyFertilityGuide

Infertility insurance is not easy to find. Some states require that companies make it available to their employees or that insurance companies offer it as an add-on to health insurance, but it’s still expensive. Why? Infertility procedures are expensive and there’s no guarantee that just one procedure will do the job. Each attempt at in vitro fertilization, for example, costs at least $10,000, if not more. Even if infertility insurance is an option, it is often expensive and limited in scope.

State Law and Infertility Insurance

Some states require that infertility insurance be included in standard health insurance coverage or offered as an optional add-on at a reasonable price. The states that require licensed insurance providers to offer some type of infertility coverage include:

• Arkansas
• California
• Connecticut
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Montana
• New Jersey
• New York
• Ohio
• Rhode Island
• Texas
• West Virginia

What is a ‘Mandate to Cover’ Law in Reference to Infertility Insurance?

Some states have a ‘mandate to cover’ law for insurance companies concerning infertility insurance. This means that health insurance providers are required to offer you coverage for infertility treatments as a part of each policy.

What is a ‘Mandate to Offer’ Law in Reference to Infertility Insurance?

Some states have a ‘mandate to offer’ law for insurance companies concerning infertility insurance. This means that health insurance providers must offer a policy that will cover infertility treatments, but it does not require employers to offer infertility insurance coverage to their employees.

Tips for Shopping for Infertility Insurance

First, never state at the outset that you are looking for infertility insurance, that this is a current concern or that it may become one later. Because infertility treatments are so costly, an insurance provider may deny your insurance application based on your interest—but never admit it. Insurance providers don’t necessarily have to give you a reason for denying your application, but many will outright turn you down as a client if you express an overt interest in infertility coverage.

Without Infertility Insurance…

There’s still hope. Infertility treatment procedures and related doctor visits and prescriptions are tax deductible, as are most medical procedures.

Also, a number of bills are under consideration at the federal level, so it may not be long before infertility coverage is a requirement across the board. Some legislation under consideration includes:

• The Family Building Act of 2005
• Infertility Coverage for Federal Employees and Military Personnel and their Families
• Medicare Infertility Coverage Act of 2005

Contact your representative or Senator concerning these and other legislative considerations to help ensure that infertility procedures are covered by law.