Infertility Treatment Not Covered by Many Employer Health Insurance Plans, USA

Main Category: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 10 Oct 2005 - 0:00 PDT

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Many employer health insurance plans do not cover most or all forms of infertility treatment, the AP/Ventura County Star reports. According to a 2005 survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, 41% of 355 U.S. employers offered health insurance that covers at least one form of infertility treatment, but many of the plans do not cover in vitro fertilization procedures (Tanner, AP/Ventura County Star, 10/5). Although some states have age restrictions, 15 states mandate that insurers provide some sort of infertility treatment coverage. Connecticut, the most recent state to require that some health insurers cover most fertility treatments, limits coverage to women under age 40 (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Report, 9/27). Three measures pending in Congress would require infertility coverage. "We're way behind the times and not catching up to the advances in technology," Julie Salz Greenstein -- government relations director for RESOLVE, an infertility advocacy and lobbying group -- said, adding, "Here we have the ability for so many of the people to have children, but they're not able to because of lack of coverage." Mohit Ghose, spokesperson for America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade group that opposes laws forcing such coverage, said, "Employers are having a difficult time covering all sorts of benefits," adding that government demands for infertility coverage "put further pressure on a very limited health insurance dollar." Representatives for WellPoint, Aetna and UnitedHealth Group's United Healthcare said covering infertility treatments is usually the employer's discretion (AP/Ventura County Star, 10/5).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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