Sponsors (9)
The bill expands federal employee health benefits to cover a wide range of fertility services—improving access and lowering out-of-pocket costs for employees while increasing program costs and raising questions about future coverage scope and moral objections.
Federal employees and their dependents would gain coverage for infertility treatments (IVF, insemination, fertility preservation, medications, and genetic testing), reducing out-of-pocket costs for infertility care.
Federal employees who delay childbearing for work or health reasons would have improved access to family-building through covered gamete preservation and IVF.
The Office of Personnel Management (with HHS coordination) would be authorized to add clinically appropriate fertility services over time, letting the benefit adapt to new technologies and clinical standards.
Federal employee health plans would face higher costs, which could lead to higher premiums for employees or greater employer contributions funded by taxpayers.
Giving OPM broad authority (with HHS) to add services without specific limits could create uncertainty about the future scope of coverage and uncontrolled cost growth.
Taxpayers and some employees who object on moral or religious grounds could be required to fund or participate in coverage that includes embryo genetic testing or gamete donation.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds fertility treatment benefits to the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program and defines what counts as “fertility treatment,” including preservation of eggs/sperm/embryos, artificial insemination, assisted reproductive technologies (like IVF), embryo genetic testing, fertility medications, and gamete donation. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), working with the HHS Secretary, may also specify other appropriate fertility-related services, procedures, medications, labs, technologies, referrals, and information. The change becomes effective one year after enactment.
Introduced February 27, 2025 by Tammy Duckworth · Last progress February 27, 2025