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Bills would expand infertility coverage for federal workers
Published by Federal Times. Read the full article.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation in the House and Senate Tuesday that would require the government’s employee health insurance program to cover in vitro fertilization and other family planning treatments, which for years have been costly for federal employees facing infertility.
The Office of Personnel Management, which administers the Federal Employee Health Benefits program on behalf of 2.1 million civil servants, has been criticized by Congress for providing only limited infertility treatments under the FEHB program. For years, artificial reproductive procedures including IVF have been largely out-of-pocket.
“With Roe v. Wade thrown out by the Supreme Court and Republicans actively working to roll back basic reproductive freedoms, many Americans — including those who may have trouble getting pregnant — are understandably worried about their access to IVF and other assisted reproductive technology that they need to start or grow their families,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., who introduced the Family Building FEHB Fairness Act’s companion bill.
