New Law In NY Requires Most Health Insurance To Cover IVF
A new law that was passed in New York State that would change what is covered by health insurance.
The New York Post reports that a law passed in Albany in April 2019 is set to go into effect come January 1, 2020. This law will require all health plans to coverer up to three cycles of in vitro fertilization (IVF). The new law also requires all insurance plans to cover sperm and egg freezing for medically necessary reseasons.
Specifically, large insurance plans, that cover 100 plus employees, must cover the in vitro treatments and associated medications and testing for people with infertility. According to the New York Post, single women and gay couples are covered under the plan. However, gay couples could have a problem with coverage due to the definition of infertility. Infertility is defined by New York State as "a disease or condition characterized by the incapacity to impregnate another person or to conceive, as diagnosed or determined by a physician or by the failure to establish a clinical pregnancy after 12 months of regular unprotected sexual intercourse, or after six months of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse for women 35 or older."
While this new law will provide coverage for roughly 2.4 million New Yorkers, the New York Post reports that anyone on Medicaid, employees of companies will less than 100 employees, self-insuring companies, and people with individual insurance plans will not be eligible under the new law. As stated previously, many LGBTQ intended parents could have coverage issues as well.