Endocrine Society urges passage of the Right to IVF Act

Newswise — WASHINGTON—The Endocrine Society endorses the Right to IVF Act, which was introduced by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to protect and expand nationwide access to fertility treatment, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), and urges the Senate to pass the Right to IVF Act on June 12th to ensure that the freedom to start and grow a family is protected and accessible to everyone in the United States. 
 
Infertility affects an increasing number of individuals. In the United States, about 9% of men and about 11% of women of reproductive age have experienced fertility problems. IVF is the main type of assisted reproductive technology. It involves extracting a woman’s eggs, fertilizing the eggs in the laboratory and transferring the resulting embryos into the woman’s uterus. 
 
About 2.3 percent of all infants born in the United States each year are conceived using assisted reproductive technology like IVF. However, access to IVF is limited and many states have banned or restricted access to reproductive medical services, in some cases including IVF. 
 
Reproductive endocrinologists are a major part of a family’s fertility care. They perform IVF and other assisted reproductive technology procedures and diagnose and treat infertility and other hormonal health issues related to the reproductive system. 
 
The Right to IVF Act would help individuals and families who are impacted by infertility by establishing a statutory right to access IVF for all Americans who need it to start or grow a family, and expanding access to coverage for IVF and fertility treatment by requiring that health plans including the VA, TRICARE, Medicaid, Medicare, group and individual market plans, ERISA, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program provide coverage for fertility treatment. 
 
We strongly urge Congress to take this opportunity to protect the right to IVF and other fertility treatments by passing the Right to IVF Act. 
 
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Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions. 
 
The Society has more than 18,000 members, including scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in 122 countries. To learn more about the Society and the field of endocrinology, visit our site at www.endocrine.org. Follow us on Twitter at @TheEndoSociety and @EndoMedia.