Illinois House insurance committee approves plan expanding infertility coverage
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Private insurance companies in Illinois can currently limit patients to four rounds of IVF treatment. State lawmakers removed the cap on infertility coverage for state employees last year. Although, a proposal in the Illinois House could expand private insurance coverage for the critical infertility treatments.
Rep. Margaret Croke (D-Chicago) told the House Insurance Committee Tuesday that the live birth rate for a single cycle of IVF is roughly 30%. She explained there are similar success rates for one to four cycles of IVF.
However, the success rate jumps to 65% for women who complete six cycles of IVF treatment.
“Some of these numbers change depending on the patient’s age, but this demonstrates how impactful just a few additional cycles of IVF can be in resulting in a live birth,” Croke said. “The decision to undergo additional rounds of IVF, we believe, should be left to a medical provider and his or her patients and not dictated by financial limitations.”
Donor eggs and associated fees can cost anywhere from $35,000 to $60,000. Advocates stressed that infertility is a medical condition and IVF is medically-necessary healthcare.
“We don’t cap the rounds of chemo that you can do if you have cancer,” said Stephanie Vojas Taylor. “So, I’m not sure why we’re capping the rounds of infertility coverage for someone who has a medical diagnosis.”
Rep. Will Hauter (R-Morton) argued that some people may abuse the insurance coverage instead of looking into alternative family planning options such as adoption or foster care. However, Croke stressed that people make very personal decisions about starting a family and the state should not prevent patients from receiving this coverage.
The plan passed out of the House Insurance Committee on a 11-2 vote and now heads to the House floor for further consideration. If approved by both chambers and Gov. JB Pritzker, House Bill 4112 could take effect on January 1, 2026.