Today, Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) reintroduced their legislation to expand and protect access to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technology (ART) that millions of Americans need to have children, including Senator Duckworth who relied on IVF to have her two daughters.
The Family Building FEHB Fairness Act would require Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) Program—the largest employer-sponsored health insurance plan in the world—carriers to cover IVF and ART and would give OPM one year to implement its requirements from the date of enactment.
Introduction of the Family Building FEHB Fairness Act follows President Trump’s Executive Order that commissions a study on access to IVF, but stops short of the meaningful action to protect and expand fertility services that he promised during his campaign for president. The legislation is cosponsored in the House by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL).
“Federal employees, like every American, should have the right to start and build a family on their own terms,” said Congressman Connolly. “If Donald Trump is serious about his support for IVF, he can take meaningful action right now to protect and expand this fundamental right for millions of Americans. The Family Building FEHB Fairness Act presents an opportunity for the federal government to lead by example by modernizing the FEHB program and embracing high-quality fertility coverage to become the employer of choice for millions of talented Americans looking to serve their country and start a family. It’s time for Donald Trump to put his money where his mouth is and support this legislation that offers real solutions, not empty promises, for American women and families.”
“Donald Trump promised to make IVF more affordable—but instead, he is focused on cutting vital programs and firing thousands of devoted public servants across the federal workforce to fund tax cuts for billionaires while wasting time with a toothless IVF executive order that fails to deliver on his promise,” said Senator Duckworth. “The devoted public servants in our federal workforce and all Americans who rely on IVF to build their families deserve better. If Donald Trump is serious about protecting IVF, calling on Republicans in Congress to support our commonsense bill that would help make sure others like me have access to IVF and other assisted reproductive technology through the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program—the largest employer-sponsored health insurance plan in the world—would be a great start.”
"Reproductive freedom must include access to the technology required to make the most personal of choices, whether to establish or expand a family by having children," said Congresswoman Norton. "Our nation’s federal employees are enduring profound upheaval, chaos and fear amid illegal mass firings and open public derision from the Trump administration. Civil servants continue to serve diligently, sometimes losing their lives in the line of duty. Our country’s federal workforce deserves decency, respect, and reproductive health care coverage, including IVF."
“Right now, most insurance plans do not cover fertility treatments, making cost one of the biggest barriers for families,” said Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz. “I utilized IVF to conceive my twin son and daughter, and I know firsthand about the difficulties so many families face in having children. Every family deserves to have access to these treatments, including our federal employees, and the Family Building FEHB Fairness Act would help make this a reality for millions of Americans. So, if Donald Trump truly wants recommendations to lower these costs for fertility treatments, he needs to look no further than this legislation.”
After an extensive push by Connolly and Duckworth, FEHB enrollees will now have a choice of multiple nationwide plans that offer comprehensive IVF coverage in plan year 2025. Every FEHB plan will also be required to cover all methods of artificial insemination, including drugs and the drug component of IVF for three cycles annually. The Family Building FEHB Fairness Act builds on and codifies this progress into law, ensuring no Administration can rescind IVF coverage for federal employees without an act of Congress.
The Family Building FEHB Fairness Act is endorsed by the Congressional Reproductive Freedom Caucus, as well as the following organizations: RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), Center for Reproductive Rights, Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, National Council of Jewish Women, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Foreign Service Association, American Postal Workers Union (APWU), Federal Managers Association (FMA), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), and the Senior Executives Association (SEA).
“Every day, RESOLVE hears from federal employees in our community who need access to better healthcare coverage for family building. We’ve been proud to work with the Office of Personal Management the past few years to increase this access, but there is more work to be done. We are deeply grateful for the re-introduction of The Family Building FEHB Fairness Act and the leadership of Congressman Gerry Connolly and Senator Tammy Duckworth to ensure federal employees are best positioned to build their families. Implementing this life-changing coverage cannot wait — we urge all members of Congress to take action and support our federal workers by voting to pass The Family Building FEHB Fairness Act into law," said Barbara Collura, President/CEO, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association.
“ASRM has been a leading voice in pushing private insurers to offer comprehensive coverage for fertility treatments, and we are encouraged by the trend of more carriers voluntarily choosing to increase access to family building care. However, this is not enough to guarantee that federal employees will have and maintain access to the medical assistance they need to build their families,” said Sean Tipton, Chief Advocacy and Policy Officer, American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). “This is why ASRM remains incredibly grateful to Representative Connolly and Senator Duckworth for their steadfast leadership on legislation that would require FEHB plans to offer fertility treatment benefits. Passage of the Family Building FEHB Fairness Act will position the federal government, the nation’s largest employer, to lead by example and fulfill President Trump’s vision of mandated insurance coverage for IVF.”
Text of the legislation is available here.
