“Cost should not be a barrier to one’s ability to build or grow their family – but without comprehensive insurance coverage, it too often is,” said Valerie Baker, MD, head of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility division at Johns Hopkins University. “The demand for fertility services is growing, so too should access. Expanding coverage for fertility services has never been more critical.”

The Helping to Optimize Patients’ Experience (HOPE) with Fertility Services Act is bipartisan legislation aimed at expanding access to fertility services for Americans seeking to start or grow their families. This is especially important to members of the hereditary cancer community, who may encounter infertility due to medical treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. The bill would cover services including fertility preservation, intrauterine insemination, and IVF.

While the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) sets minimum standards for employer-sponsored insurance, it currently does not include a federal standard for fertility care. The HOPE Act would close that gap by mandating baseline coverage requirements across private insurance plans.

The legislation is endorsed by numerous organizations, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, the Tzedek Association, and Americans for IVF.