House health panel takes no action on bill to mandate coverage for infertility treatment

Jennifer Stein sat at the testifier table Wednesday and described herself as a mother, wife and spouse of a cancer survivor.

She told the House Health Finance and Policy Committee that her husband was diagnosed with leukemia in 2014 and how their journey ended with a child.

“Following his diagnosis, his doctors told us the treatment that would be used to save his life would also take away his ability to one day become a father. So, before treatment began, he chose to preserve his fertility and we were focused on survival, but also held onto hope. Years later when he was healthy and were ready to grow our family, we learned that because of the side effects of his life-saving treatment we would also need (in-vitro fertilization) to have a child.

“Our employer-sponsored insurance covered only a fraction of the amount it cost. We drained our savings, held fundraisers and leaned in on the generosity of our families. After one round of IVF we were blessed with our daughter, Kennedy, who was born in 2022. She’s the light of our lives.”