Every year, hundreds of Iowa couples walk into a fertility clinic hoping to start a family. They meet with a physician, weigh the options, and too often, find out that the real barrier to starting their family isn’t medical, it’s financial.
The problem: Most insurance plans cover having a baby — from prenatal care to hospital stay. But for the nearly one in six Iowans who face infertility, that coverage stops short of the treatment they need to get pregnant in the first place.
I heard it directly from physicians at the University of Iowa Health Clinic in Urbandale this week: expanding access means expanding coverage, and the legislation I’m leading would make a big difference. ⬇️
What we’re doing: I’m leading the Hope with Fertility Services Act, bipartisan legislation to expand insurance coverage for fertility care built on a simple principle: if your insurance plan covers having a baby, it should also cover trying to have one.
This bill would ensure that Iowans walking into that clinic in Urbandale can focus on building their family, not worrying about how to pay for it.
Bottom Line: Every Iowa family’s path to parenthood is different, but cost should never be the reason that door closes. I’ll keep working to expand access to fertility care so more Iowa parents can start or grow their families.