California to require insurers to cover IVF: 5 things to know

A new bill will require some forms of insurance in California to pay for IVF. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the legislation Sept. 29, according to a news release from the governor's office. The bill requires large-group insurers to cover the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, including in-vitro fertilization. 

IVF can be expensive, costing up to $20,000 per round of treatment. 

Here are five things to know: 

1. The legislation applies to large group plans, which cover around 9 million people in California, according to CalMatters. The legislation does not apply to Medicaid beneficiaries or people who receive coverage from religious employers. 
   
   
2. The law will go into effect July 2025 for private-sector employees, and in 2027 for California state employees. 
   
   
3. The law passed after four similar bills failed in the California legislature over the past five years, according to CalMatters. At least 15 states require some insurers to cover IVF, according to Resolve, the National Infertility Association. 
   
   
4. The move comes as some employers and payers expand access to IVF. In 2025, the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan, the largest employer-based insurance program in the country, will require plans to pay for drug costs associated with up to three cycles of IVF per year, according to GovExec. 
   
   
5. In August, former president Donald Trump proposed requiring the government and private insurers to cover all costs associated with IVF. "Under the Trump administration, your government will pay for, or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for, all costs associated with IVF treatment," Mr. Trump said at a campaign rally. He did not specify how the policy would be paid for.