Cropped image of screen showing researcher looking in a microscope fertilising an egg. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
If you’ve been in this situation, it is emotionally heartbreaking it is financially devastating. So our question is should insurance companies be required by law to cover the cost of in vitro fertilization for couples who’ve run out of options? For those wanting to conceive one Utah lawmaker has revealed a new proposal to help make that happen.
Rep. Andrew Stoddard has introduced HB 204…
A recent report from the University of Utah says that 10-20% of Utah couples deal with fertility issues.
“I didn’t know it was that high, I mean I’ve had friends and family members who have dealt with this, in fact, just this morning I had a friend text me and tell me it cost them more than $60,000 out of pocket for their IVF treatment,” Debbie Dujanovic said.
The reason it cost that much is in vitro fertilization isn’t something that is covered by insurance.
“Everyone knows someone who’s struggled with infertility, and the cost of in vitro fertilization is just so staggeringly expensive, that people either have to struggle to afford it, or it takes them forever to save up enough money for it. I think people really like this idea,” Stoddard told Dave and Dujanovic.
“This is a health procedure, and if we support families like we say we do here in Utah, then we should have insurances pitching in on it.”
He says the bill he’s proposed also comes with stipulations and those looking to qualify could come from two paths modeled after similar legislation in Texas.
The first qualification Stoddard says is ” to have some sort of diagnosis that’s associated with infertility,” or secondly, to have “gone through prior treatment and have five years of being able to conceive.”
There are still plenty of questions to be answered as this bill continues through the legislative process and Stoddard expects the language of the bill to change.
“I absolutely think it’s fair. I mean, that’s, that’s why we enroll in health coverage is to not only protect ourselves but [others],” he said.
You can hear the full discussion Dave and Dujanovic had with Representative Stoddard, as well as what our listeners thought below.