In May of 2019 new legislation concerning infertility and fertility treatment was introduced in a landmark bill that would level the fertility playing field for U.S. couples. Currently only 15 states have laws requiring insurance companies to cover some form of fertility treatment. However, most of those do not cover IVF, which is one of the most expensive fertility procedures couples experience. So far only New Jersey, Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Hawaii, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts require their insurers to also cover IVF treatments, the cost of IVF medications, and follow up care.
New York and other states have partial requirements for fertility coverage on the books, but most won’t go into effect until 2020. If this new legislation is passed, it would provide access to millions of disadvantaged couples who were priced out of the family planning market because of the high cost of fertility drugs required for treatments. Learn more about new laws potentially coming into effect that could help you afford fertility medications and treatment.
Cultural Shifts Causing Infertility in Women
While building a career and becoming financially stable may be the responsible action to take, women play a Russian Roulette game with their own biology if they wait too long to start their families. The CDC reports that a major shift has occurred in the prevalence of first births happening after the age of 35. This is up at least nine times the rate it was compared to the birth age and first births four decades ago. Cultural shifts and career goals may shift with the social norms, but in the end biology is biology. As a person’s body ages, the health of the reproductive processes begins to decline. This is true for both men and women. With this in mind, the way insurance companies offer coverage must be addressed in more than a few states.
Fertility Education is the Key to Getting Pregnant
Learning about fertility drugs such as Follistim or Gonal F is only a small part of the fertility education that needs to occur, globally. In the U.S. many women think they will have no problem starting their family after a career is established, placing all their faith in the IVF procedures that are available to those with deep pockets. However, many doctors feel that if women were taught what the risks are in waiting, what options there were available for women who wished to postpone having children in their 20s, then the chances of a woman having a healthy child later in life is still possible.
Fertility education should cover more than fertility drugs, IVF procedures, and instead also needs to include information about the process of freezing eggs. Insurance companies who offer coverage for this in the future may capitalize on this growing trend, which is not set to go away anytime soon. Unfortunately, as it stands now, the only time a woman delves deeply into fertility research and education is when she needs to know more about IVF drugs such as Clomid or Menopur she may be taking for an upcoming IVF treatment. If the Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act does take hold, access to fertility education would give families the information they need to make an informed decision before it is too late.
The Fertility Drug Gamble
If you and your partner believe waiting to start your family is the best strategy, keep in mind that only 25% of employers and very few states even cover the cost of fertility medications or IVF protocols. Since it may still be at least another year or more before the Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act takes effect, if it is passed at all, what can be done? Some of the best optionsinclude the following:
- Freeze your eggs now (It’s also called oocyte cryopreservation).
- Consider adopting.
- Explore surrogacy.
- Use donor eggs/sperm.
- Save up for IVF later.
The Basic Components for the Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act
The legislation would require health plans offered through the Healthcare Marketplace, as well as through an employer’s business, cover infertility treatment. This includes coverage for needed IVF medications such as Menopur, Follistim and others. It would require the cost of fertility drugs to remain affordable to more couples who want to start their family.
The AITCA would also require insurance plans offer fertility treatment, access to fertility drugs and egg freezing for individuals who go through medical procedures causing sterility (such as chemotherapy).
Is New York’s Fair Access to Fertility Treatment Act the Better Model?
Many supporters of expanded healthcare coverage for fertility treatments and the lowered cost of fertility medications believe that New York’s new Fair Access to Fertility Treatment Act is a better model than the current federal Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act.
The two Acts both propose to expand healthcare coverage to include the cost of infertility for couples. However, the NY proposal guarantees coverage for couples wanting to do IVF treatments if they have tried unsuccessfully for a year to become pregnant. It also removes restrictions that currently limit access to IVF due to age, family composition, sexual orientation or disability.
Insurance Coverage for Fertility Treatments
If you are considering having a child and you’ve delayed doing so, the chances are very good you can find insurance coverage for IVF treatment, or fertility drugs in the very near future. Consider moving into those states already at the forefront of fertility legislation if your particular biological clock is sounding off. Likewise, there are large companies who have also joined the movement. For those just in the planning stages, stay tuned. It is quite likely that by 2020 healthcare coverage for IVF treatments, discount fertility medications as well as an overall lowering of the cost for IVF in general could be on the horizon.
Ivfprescriptions.com has been partnering with couples for more than three decades, and is one of the primary suppliers of infertility drugs to clinics, hospitals, and fertility clinics worldwide. You can buy infertility drugs online directly from us as well. Call today to find out more!
#bestfertilitydrugsonline, #discountivfmeds, #getivfdrugsdiscount, #getpregnantfaster, #cheaponlineivfmeds, #cheapivfdrugs