The New York Department of Financial Services updated its infertility treatment guidelines, announcing that health insurance companies within the state cannot deny coverage to customers based on their sexual orientation or marital status. Those expected to benefit most from the revisions are single women and same-sex couples.<\/p>\n
The impetus for this modification stemmed from a review of the definition of \u201cinfertility\u201d promulgated by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).<\/p>\n
\u201cInfertility is a disease, defined by the failure to achieve a successful pregnancy after 12 months or more of appropriate, timed unprotected intercourse or therapeutic donor insemination. Earlier evaluation and treatment may be justified based on medical history and physical findings and is warranted after 6 months for women over age 35 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gov. Andrew Cuomo decided that one\u2019s relationship status, sexual orientation, or gender identity should not outline treatment qualifications and stepped outside of the box of the \u201cinfertility\u201d definition.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll women who wish to have a child are entitled to insurance coverage for fertility treatment regardless of their sexual orientation or marital status, just as all women have the right to reproductive choice and to decide if and when to start a family, and New York will always stand up to protect and preserve those rights,\u201d he said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to Kathleen Hoeger, director of Strong Fertility Center, she hasn\u2019t personally witnessed denial of coverage based on sexual orientation or marital status, although there have been disparities.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s different standards. And so they end up, in all intents and purposes, being shut out of coverage until they meet those criteria,\u201d she told WSKG News.<\/p>\n While many are praising New York for its forward-thinking decision, Hoeger is quick to point out that not all insurance companies may be required to adhere.<\/p>\n \u201cToday in New York we have this law that they have to cover fertility services, but it excludes certain privately funded insurers and self-funded companies. So it\u2019s not as broad as it might otherwise seem. We do have many heterosexual couples who don\u2019t have fertility coverage in New York, because of those restrictions,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, there\u2019s no denying that the state is far ahead of others in making fertility treatments for its residents a priority.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The New York Department o [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,8,9,10,11],"tags":[87,271,167],"class_list":["post-1065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-assisted-reproduction","category-fertility-2","category-infertility-2","category-ivf","category-lgbt","tag-fertility-treatment","tag-insurance","tag-new-york"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t