A lawsuit filed Feb. 9 in Connecticut accuses Aetna of discriminating against homosexual women through its fertility treatment coverage policies, according to Top Class Actions.
The lawsuit, which is seeking class-action status, was brought by a homosexual woman who sought coverage for infertility treatment under her health plan provided by Aetna.
The plan requires members to attempt one of two methods of conception for a year to be deemed "infertile" before providing full coverage. Members younger than 35 must have had "unprotected coitus" or 12 cycles of intrauterine insemination before receiving the designation.
The plaintiff argues that because she cannot be impregnated by another woman, she is forced to pay for costly intrauterine insemination before other options are covered by her insurance, according to Top Class Actions. She claims heterosexual women do not have to pay for such options, making the coverage policy disciminatory against homosexual women.
An Aetna spokesperson told Becker's that the payer provides infertility coverage in accordance with an individual's benefits plan and state guidelines.
"While we can't comment on pending litigation, we have a history of strong support for the LGBTQ+ community, which we are committed to building on," the spokesperson said.
Litigation is ongoing.