Pennsylvania Infertilility Bill in Senate

[Jen in PA]

Hello

Recently (March 8, 2007) a bill was introduced in the PA Senate that would manditorily include infertility treatment as an insured service. It is called Senate Bill No. 265. As I am not sure how to better contact people who would hold this topic to heart, I thought I would contact infertility clinics and message boards. I am currently seeking treatment for my own infertility and, as a resident of Pennsylvania, my husband and I are paying out-of-pocket for this treatment.

If you feel appropriate, I would encourage you to share this information to your friends and collegues and encourage them to contact their local representatives asking them to pass this bill.

I have included the state links to enable folks to easily contact their local representative, as well as an excerpt of the bill. As an example, I also included an attachment of the letter that I sent to the state senators. Thank you for your time.

Best Regards,
Jen in PA

To contact your PA State Representatives:

House:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/leg ... _alpha.cfm

Senate:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/leg ... _alpha.cfm

Here is the text of the Bill:

Senate Bill 265

SB 265 By Senators BOSCOLA, RHOADES, KITCHEN, RAFFERTY, LAVALLE, MUSTO, LOGAN, STACK, C. WILLIAMS and WASHINGTON.

Printer's No. 302.

An Act amending the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known as The Insurance Company Law of 1921, providing for insurance coverage for infertility treatment services.

Referred to BANKING AND INSURANCE, March 8, 2007


Section 633.1. Coverage for Infertility Treatment.--(a)
19 Every health insurance policy that provides pregnancy-related
20 benefits and is delivered, issued, executed or renewed in this
21 Commonwealth on or after the effective date of this section
22 shall provide coverage for the expenses of diagnosis and



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1 treatment of infertility, including, but not limited to, in
2 vitro fertilization, embryo transfer, artificial insemination,
3 gamete intrafallopian tube transfer, zygote intrafallopian tube
4 transfer and low tubal ovum transfer.
5 (b) The coverage required under subsection (a) of this
6 section may impose the following restrictions:
7 (1) Exclude reversal of elective sterilization or use of
8 assisted reproductive techniques when infertility is the result
9 of elective sterilization.
10 (2) Impose restrictions or waiting periods before assisted
11 reproductive techniques may be employed. Any and all
12 restrictions or waiting periods imposed must be within the
13 recommended treatment guidelines issued by the American Society
14 for Reproductive Medicine or the American College of
15 Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
16 (3) Exclude coverage for women beyond childbearing years.
17 (4) Restrict coverage for assisted reproductive techniques
18 to the policyholder and dependent spouse. Any and all treatments
19 to remedy conditions which could impair fertility must be
20 covered for policyholder and all dependents, including minor
21 children.
22 (5) Require in vitro fertilization, gamete intrafallopian
23 tube transfer or zygote intrafallopian tube transfer be
24 performed at medical facilities that conform to the American
25 College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines for in
26 vitro fertilization clinics or to the American Society for
27 Reproductive Medicine minimal standards for programs of in vitro
28 fertilization.
29 (6) Impose a limitation of three assisted reproductive
30 technology procedures that a covered individual may attempt.
20070S0265B0302 - 2 -


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1 (7) Require copayment or deductibles for assisted
2 reproductive technology treatments. Any copayment or deduction
3 may not exceed those applied to pregnancy-related benefits under
4 the same policy, contract or plan.
5 (c) The procedures required to be covered under this section
6 may be contained in any policy or plan issued to a religious
7 institution or organization or to any entity sponsored by a
8 religious institution or organization that finds the procedure
9 required to be covered under this section to violate its
10 religious and moral teachings and beliefs.
11 (d) (1) The term "health insurance policy" when used in
12 this section means individual or group health insurance policy,
13 contract or plan which provides medical or health care coverage
14 by any health care facility or licensed health care provider on
15 an expense-incurred service or prepaid basis and which is
16 offered by or is governed under any of the following:
17 (i) This act.
18 (ii) Subdivision (f) of Article IV of the act of June 13,
19 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the "Public Welfare Code."
20 (iii) The act of December 29, 1972 (P.L.1701, No.364), known
21 as the "Health Maintenance Organization Act."
22 (iv) The act of May 18, 1976 (P.L.123, No.54), known as the
23 "Individual Accident and Sickness Insurance Minimum Standards
24 Act."

[petuniajay]

Please also give your support to the Family Building Act of 2007, H. R. 2892 legislation which is currently in Congress

If you'd like to read the specifics of the bill, Click on the link below or paste it into your browser.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.2892:

Please write to your representative at the following link if you'd like to support
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

You can use the letter included in my other post:
http://www.ivf-infertility.com/phpBB2/v ... hp?t=12779

Thanks!

[Jen in PA]

Ooops! I forgot to include a copy of the letter that sent. Here it is below:

Dear Senator:

I am writing to request that you vote in favor of Senate Bill #265 that would require insurance companies to provide coverage for infertility treatment. Currently, 15 states throughout the country require or encourage some type of infertility treatment.

My husband and I have spent thousands of dollars from our own pocket in the pursuit of having a child. We have been forced, for financial reasons, not medical, to stop at this time in order to build up our financial resources before trying again. Please consider families like mine, and countless others when you cast your vote.

Infertility is a medically recognized disease that affects men and women equally. Still, many insurance companies do not provide coverage for treatment to overcome this disease, but single out infertility for exclusion. I find this to be discriminatory. Well-managed insurance coverage will not place a large burden on insurance companies. Studies have shown that infertility coverage may actually reduce costs by
limiting costly treatments that have low rates of success in treating the underlying problem.

In fact, a recent employer survey conducted by the consulting firm William M. Mercer found that
91 percent of respondents offering infertility treatment have not experienced an increase in their medical costs as a result of providing this coverage.

Insurers argue that bearing children is a lifestyle choice. In fact it is. But it is not a choice to have a disease that prevents a person from having the option to bear children. Insurers raise concerns about some treatments and the possibility of multiple births and the associated costs. Reproductive doctors are careful to help couples minimize the risks associated with multiple births. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (Aug 29, 2002) concludes that the incidence of multiple births is actually lower in states that have enacted an infertility insurance requirement than in states without coverage. Why? Because couples with insurance coverage are free to make purely medical decisions when pursuing some infertility treatments, as opposed to other couples who must also weigh financial considerations that often result in medical risk taking, multiple births and a high rate of complications during and post-pregnancy.

In 1998, the United States Supreme Court ruled that reproduction is a major life activity under the "Americans with Disabilities Act." This ruling demonstrates the importance of reproduction and the impact that infertility, in which the ability to reproduce is impaired, has on the lives of men and women.

Unlike myself, many affected by infertility do not feel comfortable speaking publicly
about this very private struggle, but we represent all racial, religious, and ethnic groups, as well as both sexes. We are neighbors, co-workers, friends and relatives, and we just want to experience the joy of raising families without having to bankrupt ourselves in the process. Please support infertility coverage legislation and help fulfill the dreams of thousands of couples waiting for a family to love.

Sincerely,