Wisconsin Legislators Offer Dueling Bills to Reduce IVF Costs

Hospital waiting area. (Public Domain)

Wisconsin lawmakers from both major parties are circulating bills to reduce the cost of in vitro fertilization treatment, or IVF.

According to the National Infertility Association, around half of states have some type of infertility laws in place, but only 15 require insurers to cover the costs of IVF and fertility preservation like freezing embryos or sperm. Wisconsin has no such requirements.

IVF treatment can take several “cycles” to be successful if the first round of egg collection, fertilization and placement doesn’t develop into a viable pregnancy. Each IVF cycle can cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars, forcing patients in Wisconsin to pay for care — from diagnosis through treatment — out of pocket. An estimated 170,000 residents face infertility challenges.

State Rep. Jessie Rodriguez, R-Oak Creek, is circulating a bill together with Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, that would establish a nonrefundable income tax credit for up to $5,000 of IVF-related expenses like consultations, prescribed drugs or procedures that aren’t covered by insurance.

The tax credit would be limited to individuals making less than $100,000 per year or couples making less than $200,000.

Rodriguez told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” that her proposal is an unconventional way to help cut IVF treatment costs.

“We looked nationwide to see if there was any proposal like mine anywhere else in the country and we couldn’t find (one),” she said. “That’s why we thought, let’s put it out there, see what kind of input we get and see what we can do.”

This bill comes as Assembly Democrats reintroduced legislation last month which would require insurers in Wisconsin to cover the costs of IVF and fertility preservation treatment outright.

Rep. Jodi Emerson, D-Eau Claire, wrote the legislation. She told “Wisconsin Today” that insurance companies should be a part of making treatments more affordable.

“If this is a medical issue — which we know it is — then why shouldn’t an insurance company help pay for it?” Emerson said.

Rodriguez described the Democratic bill as a “mandate” that can be tough to find bipartisan support for but said her bill is a chance to explore bipartisan interest in cutting IVF costs.

Emerson said she supports that state Republicans are exploring ways to cut IVF costs but argued a nonrefundable tax credit doesn’t go far enough to address cost concerns.

“The tax credit that they’re offering is just a very small amount of what it actually costs,” Emerson said. “So, while it does help, it doesn’t solve the problem because some people are not going to have that money in the bank in order to pay for it up front.”

Cost of fertility treatment adds up, doctor says

Dr. Bala Bhagavath is an infertility physician and director of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility program at UW Health. Last month, he came out individually to support the Democratic bill requiring insurers to cover IVF costs.

He told “Wisconsin Today” that some patients have gone as far as taking jobs at companies that offer IVF coverage as a benefit in an effort to reduce costs. But Bhagavath said a vast majority of patients don’t have coverage for infertility services and the toll of paying for treatment can be steep.

“As a physician who has worked in other states — I worked in Rhode Island (and) New York State where such a problem was not even present — it makes it acutely palpable for me, having practiced medicine the way it should be,” Bhagavath said.

Bhagavath estimated that a single treatment round can cost between $20,000 to $30,000, depending on a patient’s diagnosis. But he said some diagnoses and treatments can raise the cost even higher.

“Perhaps a husband has a severe sperm problem and that needs further investigation,” Bhagavath said. “The male infertility specialist may then recommend further treatment, perhaps even surgery. These surgeries are not covered and that will all add up.”

Wisconsin lawmakers discuss competing bills to reduce IVF costs was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.