IVF treatments for same-sex couples to be covered by Aetna in national settlement
Like many young girls, Mara Berton and June Higginbotham both knew from an early age they wanted families and to become mothers. But as lesbians, they were excluded from accessing the same fertility treatment insurance benefits offered to heterosexual peers.
TL;DR
- Aetna has reached a preliminary settlement in a class action lawsuit requiring them to cover fertility treatments for same-sex couples.
- The previous Aetna policy defined infertility in a way that excluded same-sex couples, requiring heterosexual intercourse for qualification.
- The settlement is the first to mandate national coverage of fertility treatments for same-sex couples by a health insurer.
- An estimated 2.8 million LGBTQ+ members are expected to benefit from this policy change.
- Aetna will also pay at least $2 million in damages to eligible California-based members.
- A new California law taking effect in January will expand mandated fertility benefits to include same-sex couples and single individuals.
- The American Society for Reproductive Medicine updated its medical definition of infertility to include LGBTQ+ individuals and those without partners.