Sponsors (4)
The bill expands FEHB fertility benefits to improve access and reduce out-of-pocket costs for federal workers and annuitants, trading off higher federal plan costs/premiums, implementation complexity, and ethical/privacy concerns around genetic embryo testing.
Federal employees and annuitants would gain comprehensive coverage for fertility care (IVF, genetic embryo testing, fertility preservation, and related medications), expanding access to ART services and reducing out-of-pocket costs for those pursuing family-building.
People who need fertility preservation (oocyte/sperm/embryo cryopreservation) and fertility medications — including OTC drugs when indicated — would have those services covered, making future family-building more affordable and streamlining treatment pathways.
Expanding FEHB coverage for fertility treatments will likely raise program costs, which could lead to higher premiums or increased employer/employee contributions and greater federal spending (affecting taxpayers).
Insurers and plan administrators will need time to define clinical eligibility and implement benefit rules, creating the risk of delays, administrative burden, and inconsistent coverage across plans in the first year after enactment.
Including genetic testing of embryos and other assisted reproductive technologies raises ethical and privacy concerns (for example, potential selection based on genetic traits) that could worry some employees and families.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds fertility treatment benefits to FEHB coverage and defines covered services including IVF, preservation, genetic testing, medications, and gamete donation.
Official title: To require Federal employee health benefit plans to include assisted reproductive treatment benefits, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 27, 2025 by Gerald E. Connolly · Last progress February 27, 2025
Adds fertility treatment benefits to the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program and defines covered fertility services. The change inserts fertility treatment into the statutory list of covered benefits and spells out services such as egg/sperm/embryo preservation, artificial insemination, IVF and related genetic testing, fertility medications, gamete donation, and other fertility-related services as determined by OPM and HHS. The amendments take effect one year after enactment.