"The ability to have a family should not be denied to anyone on account of a lack of insurance coverage for medically necessary treatment." This statement from the Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act sums it up perfectly. Infertility has been recognized as a disease by the World Health Organization, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and the American Medical Association; it affects women and men of all races and ethnicities, regardless of religion, sexual orientation, or economic status. A person or couple facing this diagnosis should not be denied access to an affordable means of treating their disease and building a family. This is why I am asking Congress to pass the Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act.
I am passionate about this because I struggled with unexplained infertility for three years before finally conceiving. Luckily, my husband and I had an insurance plan that covered most of the costs of our treatment, including in vitro fertilization (IVF). If we had not had insurance coverage, the cost of treatment would have been prohibitive; the average cost of one round of IVF in the U.S. is $20,000. My husband and I were well aware that we were very fortunate to have such great coverage. A 2017 study showed that 44% of employers with at least 500 employees did not offer health plans that cover infertility services.
The Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act would require health insurers to provide coverage for infertility treatment, as well as fertility preservation services for those who undergo medically necessary procedures that may cause infertility (such as cancer treatment). The Act also extends coverage to federal employees, those in the military, and veterans.
During our fertility journey, I attended a support group run by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association; there, I met couples who had drained their savings, mortgaged their homes, or spent all of their inheritance in order to pay for infertility treatment. People facing this devastating diagnosis should not then have to make a choice between taking on the overwhelming financial burden of treatment or giving up their dream of having children.
Unfortunately, our insurance coverage ran out before my husband and I were able to achieve a successful pregnancy, so we decided to try IVF outside of the country where it is more affordable. During our IVF cycles outside of the U.S., we met many couples who simply could not afford to pay for IVF at home. Some of the people we met included a postal worker, an elementary school vice principal, and a nurse. These are people who are serving our citizens every day, and yet they were forced to seek care in another country in order to access affordable treatment to build their own families.
Research has shown that American women diagnosed with infertility felt as anxious or depressed as those diagnosed with cancer. Infertility can devastate a person's hopes and dreams- but it doesn't have to be that way. Access to affordable treatment renews those hopes, and in many cases is the only way a person or couple can achieve the family they dreamed of. Please show your support for American families by passing the Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act.
