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Currently, 19 states require health insurance companies to cover the cost of fertility treatments. A new bill would make Wisconsin the 20th state where that would be a requirement. For couples who need help conceiving a child, it’s no secret that it can be costly. Stoughton couple Rachel and Chad Scott, for example, have already spent $23,000 out of pocket to try to become parents. But the treatments haven’t been successful yet, and they still have no children.

Chad drives a cement truck and Rachel works at a preschool daycare. The couple want to be parents, but they’re running out of money for artificial insemination, frozen embryos, and other options. Proponents of the new bill argue that being able to have and raise children is a reproductive right, and it’s one that should be extended by requiring insurance companies to cover the cost.

Thirteen of the 19 states that currently have insurance coverage requirements require those companies to cover IVF, which is typically used to help couples conceive. The cost of an IVF treatment can be as high as $20,000 or more, with medications and egg retrieval. For many couples, even one IVF treatment is out of their reach. When their insurance covers treatment, though, more couples have the opportunity to become parents.

The Scotts have been trying for a child for nearly a decade, but haven’t been successful with the infertility treatments they’ve been able to afford. If their insurance were to cover the procedures, though, they could continue to work toward their dreams of having a family. Right now the bill doesn’t have a very high chance of passing, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

It’s also likely that other bills will be introduced in the future, if this one doesn’t get the traction it needs. Being able to become parents is extremely important to many people and couples, but they don’t all have the means for continued fertility treatments. This bill could change their lives.

At The Surrogacy Law Center, we work with individuals and couples who want to start or grow their families through assisted reproduction. Contact us today to learn more about protecting your rights throughout the process.