How the politicization of IVF is boosting fertility care coverage
But even in states where coverage is a comparatively progressive place — like New York, where up to three cycles of IVF treatments are covered by city and state insurance — state legislators are pushing for more.
New York State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton introduced a bill this year to remove the three-cycle restriction on coverage for IVF and mandate all insurance companies — not just city and state — to cover the procedure.
“It’s important that we take the lead on this,” Scarcella-Spanton says, “to make sure that New York State is not only a leader in IVF coverage, but an example for the rest of the country.”
She says the three-cycle limit is unclear and restrictive, and that the mandate should apply to all insurers, not just city and state, so that women don’t have to pick and choose jobs based on treatment access.
“I look at it as an investment in New York state families,” she says.