Arkansas Law Mandating IVF Coverage

The Arkansas law mandates the all health insurers that cover maternity benefits to cover the cost of in vitro fertilization (IVF) up to a lifetime maximum of $15,000.   Health maintenance organizations, commonly called HMOs, are exempt from the law.

Patients need to meet specific conditions in order to get their IVF covered.  

• You must be the policyholder or spouse of the policyholder
• The patients eggs must be fertilized with her husband's sperm
• You must have at least a two year history of infertility

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is often the last line of treatment for couples trying to conceive.  Many other treatments including fertility drugs, artificial insemination, and more are not subject to this regulation.

In addition the Arkansas mandate stipulates that a patient must have two years of unexplained infertility.  That poses a difficult choice for couples trying to conceive:

• Should we pay for other infertility treatments ourselves right away?
• Should we wait two years and go straight for IVF even though other treatments may work?

For those who don't want to wait consider this:

• Cut your infertility costs by leveraging the tax code and flexible spending accounts. 
• Use supplemental health insurance to create income from your normal delivery to offset your infertility treatment costs, and get additional security for complications.