State Laws to Cover Fertility Preservation

There has been some recent activity in state legislatures in providing coverage for procedures such as egg freezing for fertility preservation for women who are planning to undergo gonadotoxic medical treatments.

Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signed into law in June, legislation (HB 7124) to require insurance coverage of fertility preservation for insured individuals diagnosed with cancer, or whenever this treatment is medically necessary. The bill unanimously passed the House in late May and unanimously passed the Senate in June.

Specifically, the new law amends the existing insurance requirement for infertility coverage in the state by changing the definition of infertility. Previously, it was defined as “the condition of a presumably healthy individual, who is unable to conceive or produce conception or sustain a successful pregnancy during a one-year period.” The new law removes the words “presumably healthy” from the definition, and extends it to include those for whom fertility services are “medically necessary.”

Rhode Island became the first state to pass a law explicitly requiring coverage for fertility preservation prior to gonadotoxic medical therapy, treatment that could directly or indirectly cause infertility. The Fertility Center at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island co-wrote the bill and were instrumental in its passage.

It’s surprising that California, one of the most liberal states in the nation, has not been at the forefront of this effort. Sperm or egg freezing can be very effective in preserving the fertility of people being treated for cancer. Today more young people are surviving cancer and this gives them the hope of restoring normal full lives after their successful battle with cancer.

Although is of primary importance for preserving fertility in women who need egg-damaging chemotherapy for treatment of cancer. Its use has also been extended to women who need to delay childbearing because of their careers, or because they have not found a life partner. They can now store their eggs before their fertility is lost or declines due to advancing age.

For more information please visit our page on Egg Freezing.