COALITION LAUNCHES IN SUPPORT OF BIPARTISAN IVF SOLUTION

Americans for IVF champions accessible fertility care for families who want the gift of children and is supporting passage of the HOPE with Fertility Services Act to protect this treatment.

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With hundreds of members from diverse backgrounds, Americans for IVF, a new national organization launched today, aims to educate and engage the American public and Members of Congress on the importance of IVF as a morally just pathway to parenthood for families facing infertility challenges. The Coalition is collaborating across party lines in support of the HOPE with Fertility Services Act to depoliticize this issue, advocating for a straightforward, bipartisan solution that protects access to IVF and makes it more affordable for more Americans.

Andrea Bozek, AIVF national spokeswoman who has had two children through IVF said, "There is nothing more pro-life than IVF, as it enables parents who cannot otherwise have children to bring new life into the world. Since the Alabama court decision, this issue has been clouded by misinformation from all sides for political purposes. A diagnosis of infertility does not choose liberals, conservatives or independents. It affects people from all walks of life. Americans for IVF believes it is time to set aside political differences and focus on ensuring access to this essential and life-creating treatment."

IVF became a significant topic during the election year in February when the Alabama Supreme Court declared that frozen embryos are legally considered people. This decision suggested that individuals could be held liable for destroying embryos, creating uncertainty about the future of IVF across the country where, according to recent polling, nearly 90 percent of all people surveyed support access to IVF procedures. Even within staunchly conservative circles, including pro-life advocates (with 78% support, 39% strongly supporting) and Evangelicals (with 83% support, 44% strongly supporting), there is significant and unwavering support for the IVF procedure. See here for additional recent polling from Pew Research and see here from CBS News/YouGov.

The Alabama decision particularly struck a nerve in a country where infertility issues are highly prevalent to a recent CDC survey:

• 13.4% (9.7 million) U.S. women 15-49 years of age (of all marital statuses) have infertility issues;
• About 1 in 5 (19%) married women in the U.S. aged 15 to 49 with no prior births are unable to get pregnant after 1 year of trying; and,
• A staggering 1 in 4 (26%) women in this group have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term.

The Helping to Optimize Patients' Experience (HOPE) with Fertility Services Act (H.R. 8821), introduced today by Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-5), Zach Nunn (R-IA-3), Susan Wild (PA-7), and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL-25) is a bipartisan bill that ensures the life-creating infertility treatments and diagnostic care needed by millions of Americans struggling with infertility, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), will be covered by private insurance plans for all fully-insured and self-insured plans in the United States. Infertility care ? including diagnosis, testing and treatment ? will be covered just as any other disease is covered.

Rabbi Moshe Margaretten, Chairman of Americans for IVF, said "This legislation is profoundly life-affirming, pro-family, and pro-woman, as it facilitates the birth of babies who otherwise would not be born and supports family creation. It empowers couples who want to become parents by removing unjust financial barriers created by insurance plans that refuse to cover this vital medical need: the ability to reproduce. This breakthrough legislation is an exciting milestone, a first ever bipartisan Republican-led bill that will finally correct the injustice of people being forced to pay out-of-pocket for infertility treatment."

The HOPE with Fertility Services Act amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to ensure that three narrowly tailored types of infertility are covered:

• Infertility due to a diagnosed disease or physical ailment that prevents the bringing of a child to full term live birth;
• Unexplained infertility, such as a couple who cannot conceive a child after trying for at least 12 consecutive months; and,
• Iatrogenic infertility: infertility or anticipated infertility due to a course of treatment for another ailment such as cancer, which could require egg preservation because certain treatments like chemotherapy have proven to destroy eggs.

The Coalition will hope to educate and engage the American public and Members of Congress on the importance of IVF as a morally just pathway to parenthood for families struggling to grow. Many couples face the heart-wrenching challenge of infertility, longing to start a family but are hindered by extraordinary financial barriers. Despite the incredible advancements in medical technology, the exorbitant costs of fertility treatments often render them unattainable.

Unfortunately, many misconceptions surround IVF treatments and how they can help families grow. That's why Americans for IVF is dedicated to promoting education and awareness about the realities of IVF, debunking myths, and fostering understanding within our communities. Now is the time to change these misconceptions. Access to fertility treatments isn't a luxury?it's a basic healthcare need that should be accessible to all.

Barbara Collura, President/CEO, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, also praised the legislation as essential to helping families:

"As the largest patient advocacy organization focused on increasing access to family building options, we know that the number one barrier for people who struggle to build their family is lack of comprehensive insurance coverage for medical treatments like IUI and IVF and we're glad to be working with the Coalition to help advance common-sense solutions to this problem, like the HOPE with Fertility Services Act. This bill will remedy this barrier by amending ERISA plans, which covers most private insurance in the U.S. We applaud this bi-partisan legislation and urge the House of Representatives to show their support for our community by passing this pro-family legislation."

Sean Tipton, Chief Advocacy and Policy Officer for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) similarly thanked Americans for IVF:

"We are thrilled to welcome Americans for IVF. While clearly there is broad public support for IVF, it's also clear that there is much to work to do to ensure more Americans can access these vital treatments. The release of the bipartisan HOPE with Fertility Services Act and the creation of Americans for IVF will go a long way towards ensuring that access."

See here for Rep. Chavez-Deremer's Press Release on the HOPE with Fertility Services Act, which includes a statement from Dr. Kaylen Silverberg of Austin, TX, Chairman of the Advisory Board of Americans for IVF:

"Americans for IVF fully and enthusiastically supports the HOPE with Fertility Services Act. This pro-family and life-affirming legislation will correct an injustice that has gone on for far too long of insurance companies failing to cover infertility treatment for Americans whose bodies do not allow them to have children at no fault of their own. Infertility is a disease like any other disease and should be covered by insurance just as they cover other diseases. At a time when the birth rate in America is at an alarming decline, we need legislation like this that will bring more babies into the world, now more than ever."

For more information about, and to receive regular updates from the Coalition, visit us at https://americansforivf.org or on X here.

CONTACT: Andrea Bozek
[email protected]

SOURCE Americans for IVF