Labor Department Lays Roadmap For Employers’ IVF Treatment Plans

The Department of Labor in new guidance cleared a path for employers to offer more standalone insurance coverage for fertility treatments without running afoul of federal benefits law.

Companies can offer coverage for infertility, including in vitro fertilization, through an independent benefits package as long as it meets certain conditions, the guidance said.

The DOL also said in a statement that it’s planning to propose regulations that will ease limitations on fertility benefits.

“President Trump is once again keeping his promises by taking decisive action to make health care more affordable for women, striking a significant deal to lower pharmaceutical costs of fertility medications and treatments,” Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in the statement.

It comes as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to expand access to fertility care. President Donald Trump, in a February executive order, directed his policy advisers to draft recommendations on “protecting IVF access and aggressively reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs.”

A single IVF cycle runs between $14,000 and $20,000 on average, according to ARC Fertility.

Employers can offer a standalone fertility treatment benefit as long as its provided under a separate policy from their traditional health care plans and there’s no coordination between the plans. They can also set up health reimbursement arrangements for employees to seek repayment for treatments, as long as those also meet certain requirements.