Insuring reproductive assistance: The need for a federal mandate requiring insurance companies to pay for fertility treatments

Abstract

In the United States, one in nine women of reproductive age struggles with fertility. Luckily, due to advancements in reproductive technology, there are various options to combat this problem such as in vitro fertilization and cryopreservation. However, these treatments are not guaranteed to work and can be very expensive, leaving low‐income families at a disadvantage. In fact, 31 states do not require insurance companies to pay these costs. A federal mandate directing states to require that insurance companies cover fertility treatments is necessary to allow struggling infertile families an opportunity to reproduce.