State workers’ insurance could cover storing sperm, eggs for cancer patients

TALLAHASSEE — Florida lawmakers are acting to expand state worker healthcare benefits to allow men and women undergoing chemotherapy — treatment that could make them sterile — to store their sperm and eggs for up to three years.

Similar bills were approved with unanimous, bipartisan support in both House and Senate committees Tuesday.

“Ensuring that the State Group Insurance Program in Florida covers standard fertility preservation services is crucial for individuals facing medical treatments that may compromise their ability to have children in the future,” Rep. Dana Trabulsy, R-Fort Pierce, said about her bill.

Egg, sperm or embryo freezing is a vital component of comprehensive healthcare, she said, and without insurance coverage such procedures can be too expensive for most families.

“In a time where women’s reproductive rights vary, I appreciate this bill for its impact on cancer patients, who must make life-saving decisions that put their bodies’ ability to carry a child at risk,” Rep. Dotie Joseph, D-North Miami, said. “At least they have a shot at still bringing children into the world.”

The bill is supported by the Chick Mission, a nonprofit organization founded by cancer survivor Amanda Rice after her insurance didn’t cover her infertility treatments. The organization has been advocating for states and employer-sponsored insurance plans to include fertility preservation services.

Nineteen states provide some form of fertility preservation coverage, according to the National Infertility Association.

Florida’s health insurance program covers various forms of birth control and other reproductive services, but doesn’t mandate in vitro fertilization or other reproductive therapies. The bill would not require the program to cover fertility testing and treatment to assist in achieving pregnancy, including in-vitro fertilization (IVF), artificial insemination, and other methods, according to a legislative bill analysis.

The bill requires new policies issued after January 1, 2026 to cover “medically necessary expenses” related to standard fertility preservation services for workers of reproductive age who have been diagnosed with cancer and whose treatment may cause infertility.

Coverage must include the costs of storing the eggs, sperm or embryos for up to three years.

The bill prohibits the state health insurance provider from requiring preauthorization to cover the fertility preservation services, but they may be subject to a deductible or copayment depending on the type of policy.

About 1.36 % of the 300,000 people in the state health insurance plan could be affected at a cost of about $800,000 a year, Trabulsy said.

“As someone with a close family member with cancer, I have seen the problems that play out,” said Sen. Alexis Calatayud, R-Miami, sponsor of the Senate bill. She said this will help people in similar situations who want families some day.

She also said she hoped it would open the door to a broader conversation about fertility treatments.

As someone who has dealt with infertility herself,  Rep. Robin Bartleman, D-Weston, said making fertility preservation available could be a “game changer” for “state employees who want to have a family.”

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