What support for IVF looks like

We are thrilled that so many elected officials have stated their support for IVF since the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in LePage v Mobile Infirmary Clinic, Inc. Infertility cuts across gender, race, sexuality, and socioeconomic status. Bipartisan support for this essential medical therapy that is responsible for the birth of over 2% of all babies born in the USA each year¹ will ensure that families continue to grow across our nation.

Who has stated support for IVF?

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have shared their positive opinions of IVF. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) called IVF “something we ought to protect and preserve” at this year’s Republican Issues Conference. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) shared that her family’s use of IVF is the reason she “gets to experience the chaos and the beauty, the stress and the joy, that is motherhood.” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said that “patients have a right to access IVF services or other reproductive technologies,” and “providers have a right to provide those services and technologies." Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said, “I am for IVF, and I know there are many pushing for this to be more completely covered via insurance. I think that’s a good thing.”

How can lawmakers support IVF?

There are important steps policymakers can take to support pro-family medical treatments. The first and most important step is to cosponsor legislation that would increase insurance coverage for IVF.

Too many individuals in the United States do not have comprehensive fertility insurance. Too many insurance plans don’t include coverage for IVF, leaving many hopeful parents without access to care.

Shockingly, this includes the federal government.

• Only some of the health insurance plans available to federal employees include coverage for IVF services.
• Service members and veterans only have very limited access to infertility care that is contingent on being able to prove that their infertility is service-related.
• Those who serve our country in the military and in the civilian workforce deserve access to the best medical care available. This must include access to comprehensive fertility services like IVF.

Because of the dearth of federal coverage, some states mandate insurance coverage for fertility services. Fourteen states have enacted legislation requiring health insurance coverage to include IVF. Seventeen have enacted mandates to cover sperm and egg freezing to patients facing medical therapies which could impact their fertility. However, because of the complex federal laws around insurance coverage, many of these mandates only apply to a small percentage of those who have health insurance. The federal government must act to ensure access to comprehensive fertility care across the country.

What you can do:

• Support the following legislation that requires comprehensive health insurance access:
  • Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act (S.2386 / H.R.4731)
  • Equal Access to Reproductive Care Act (H.R.4391)
  • Family Building FEHB Fairness Act (S.1262 / H.R.2828)
  • The Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act (H.R.4363)
  • Veteran Families Health Services Act of 2023 (S.2801 / H.R.5492)
  • Veterans Infertility Treatment Act (H.R.544)
• Support legislation that establishes a federal right to access ART services including IVF:
  • Access to Family Building Act (S.3612 / H.R.7056)

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For almost a century, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has been the global leader in multidisciplinary reproductive medicine research, ethical practice, and education. ASRM impacts reproductive care and science worldwide by creating funding opportunities for advancing reproduction research and discovery, by providing evidence-based education and public health information, and by advocating for reproductive health care professionals and the patients they serve. With members in more than 100 countries, the Society is headquartered in Washington, DC, with additional operations in Birmingham, AL. www.asrm.org | publicaffairs@asrm.org

¹ART Success Rates, CDC, 2024.