Who is to Blame for Missing In fertility Insurance Benefits?

One of the first steps when starting fertility treatment is the insurance benefit check. Couples often find out that infertility diagnosis and treatment is covered by their insurance, but IVF and other fertility treatments are excluded. The majority of SDFC patients reside in California, one state out of 13 with an infertility mandate in place. However, it is a “soft” mandate, which gives employers the option to offer infertility benefits. Since it is not required, not many employers actually purchase the coverage.

Many patients are not aware of the fact that it is actually their employer who make the final decision about what is included in their company health insurance and what isn’t. So, instead of being upset with your insurance company, you might want to talk to your Human Resource Manager to find out what it would take to have them include advanced treatment like IVF in your insurance benefits. If you would like to make your voice heard on a higher level, send a letter to your U.S. Senator. The national self-support group RESOLVE encourages couples to call or write your U.S. Senator. For more information about your state’s mandate go to www.resolve.org and select “Advocacy”, where you can also find sample letters to Capitol Hill.