Tips For Getting Infertility Health Insurance
As a woman who has struggled with infertility since the first two weeks of trying, I know how important it is to have health insurance. Without it, I would not be able to afford expensive treatments like IVF or any medical care that could help me and my husband start a family. Now, as an advocate for American women’s healthcare reform, I am here to share tips on finding affordable and comprehensive fertility health insurance plans in the US.
Infertility can affect anyone with one of 12 different factors that result in infertility. These include PCOS, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, adrenal dysfunction, or low sperm count. Infertility is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and may be covered by health insurance plans as such. It is important to know your rights and navigate the healthcare system so that you can receive appropriate treatments. There are three ways to find fertility-friendly health insurance plans:
1) Cross-reference your current health insurance plan to see if it provides coverage for fertility treatment. If you are already female and have coverage under Affordable Care Act (ACA), your plan must include maternity care in 2016 per Section 2713 of the ACA known as "Maternity Care.” If you are male, ask your current health insurance company to find out if they cover infertility.
2) Check out the "Fertility Friendly" companies on the US government website. These companies offer detailed information and premium costs for people who have fertility problems. You can also find free resources to help you get a quote from their website that will be sent to your email within two business days.
3) The government of Canada has a database of over thirty different health insurance providers that offers coverage for infertility treatment in Canada. There is also a list of companies that are not insured by any provincial or federal government programs in Canada, but still provide reasonable rates and options for people suffering with infertility.
For more information on getting coverage for infertility in the US, please visit FertilityFriendly.com.
- By Liza Stromberg of FertilityFriendly.com from Canada, who has been living with fertility and female health issues since she was 12 years old and is now 32. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology, master's degree in Sociology and is currently pursuing a PhD in the Philosophy of Education at McGill University. She strongly believes that women should have access to all reproductive technology including egg freezing, IVF and FGCS if they want them for any reason or no reason at all.
Title: "Infertility is a Disability"
Title: Being Fertile Isn't the Only Thing We Need to Do for Ourselves
Title: Infertility and Disability Law: Implications for Health and Social Policy in Canada
Title: Access to Prenatal Care in Canada - The Experience of Children with Infertility
Title: The Gender Dimension of Infertility
Title: Coping with Infertility- Time, Money, and Resources for Women with Fertility Problems in Australia Book Chapter - In an expanding middle class, an emerging disability? (PITCH) (pdf) Book Chapter - The Treatment of Incompetence in New Zealand (pdf) Article - Pregnancy Seen as a Disability Article - Being Fert. Isn't the Only Thing We Need to Do for Ourselves Article - The Gender Dimension of Infertility Article - Coping with Infertility: Time, Money, and Resources for Women with Fertility Problems in Australia PhD Dissertation - 'A Matter of Life...': (Im)possible Childbirths, Pregnancy Disability and Embodied Fertile Futures PhD Dissertation - Infertility and Social Inclusion; Living Life as a Female 'Disability' PhD Dissertation - The Treatment of Incompetence in New Zealand
Title: Access to Prenatal Care in Canada – The Experience of Children with Infertility
Journal: Health Policy (2010) 98:94–110 doi 10.1016/j.healthpol.2010.04.004 Authors: Ngueta JF, Corsi B, Lacroix J Abstract: This article examines prenatal care access for children with disabilities and/or those who are the children of parents with disabilities in Canada. Focusing on a representative sample of infants born in 2003/04, the study found that the proportion of Canadian infants who received necessary prenatal care increased by six percentage points overall between 1993/94 and 2003/04. For comparison purposes, we examined three subgroups according to family status and parental disability status: children with disabilities and one parent with a disability (children of parents with disabilities); children without disabilities but one parent has a disability; and children without disabilities with both parents having no disability. In general, the proportion of children with disabilities and children without disabilities with the disabled parent in the family increased by four to five percentage points. In 2003/04, more than three-quarters of infants in families with only a single child received necessary prenatal care, compared with approximately half for other family types. Although prenatal care access for infants with disabilities within different caregiver breadwinners varied among families, overall differences between caregiver characteristics were not statistically significant. There was some indication that some mothers of offspring with disabilities may be less likely than others to ask their child's doctor or health professional about prenatal care. Abstract: This article examines prenatal care access for children with disabilities and/or those who are the children of parents with disabilities in Canada. Focusing on a representative sample of infants born in 2003/04, the study found that the proportion of Canadian infants who received necessary prenatal care increased by six percentage points overall between 1993/94 and 2003/04. For comparison purposes, we examined three subgroups according to family status and parental disability status: children with disabilities and one parent with a disability (children of parents with disabilities); children without disabilities but one parent has a disability; and children without disabilities with both parents having no disability. In general, the proportion of children with disabilities and children without disabilities with the disabled parent in the family increased by four to five percentage points. In 2003/04, more than three-quarters of infants in families with only a single child received necessary prenatal care, compared with approximately half for other family types. Although prenatal care access for infants with disabilities within different caregiver breadwinners varied among families, overall differences between caregiver characteristics were not statistically significant. There was some indication that some mothers of offspring with disabilities may be less likely than others to ask their child's doctor or health professional about prenatal care. Abstract: Objectives: To explore the relationship between the receipt of prenatal care and sociodemographic characteristics and health-care system factors among children in Canada. Research Design: Analysis of data from the Canadian Pregnancy Adequacy Study (CANPAS). Subjects: Canadian children aged 0 to 11 years in the 2001 Canadian Community Health Survey. Methods: The 2003 CANPAS data were used to measure prenatal care adequacy for each study child, born in 2001. Analysis was restricted to the children of women aged 15 to 49 years. Statistical analyses included frequency tabulations, cross-tabulations, and logistic regression. Results: In general, children born prematurely or of parents with a low level of education were less likely to receive adequate prenatal care than other children. Children with mothers who did not speak English at home were also less likely to receive adequate prenatal care than other children. Conclusion: Improved support for culturally diverse families may be needed to ensure that these families receive adequate prenatal care.
Conclusion: The study of infertile women shows that the relationship between fertility and disability is complex. While it is important to explore the phenomenon of infertility as a reproductive disability, it is crucial to take into account the additional factor of gender. This field has been enriched by the seminal work of Evelyn Gerstl who showed that social constructions of reproduction, pregnancy and motherhood are constructed largely by heterosexual men. We do not need more studies on infertile women; what we need is to define a new category in which we can intensify our understanding.