IVF, abortion and trans care coverage mandates considered by MN lawmakers

MN medical care mandates considered by lawmakers

Several types of coverage, including for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), abortion, and gender-affirming care could all be mandatory for insurance coverage under new proposals before Minnesota lawmakers this legislative session.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - In vitro fertilization (IVF), abortion, and gender-affirming care are all on track to be mandatory in Minnesota health insurance coverage.

Objections on religious grounds could not slow down bills in the Senate on Wednesday.

Senators got to hear from Isla Gran first.

"Hi," the 3-year-old said as she sat on her father's lap during his testimony to the health and human services committee.

They all put in a word to state senators in favor of requiring insurance companies to include fertility treatments in healthcare coverage.

Without IVF, Isla wouldn’t exist.

But without coverage, her existence required a second mortgage and a big fundraiser for her Bloomington family.

Miraya and Andy Gran still have a couple embryos frozen, but they can’t afford to give Isla a sibling.

"Insurance coverage is our only option in bringing our embryos home, and this bill is our only hope," said Miraya Gran.

Currently, 21 states require infertility treatment coverage, and 14 of those include IVF.

A lot bigger employers already include it in their policies, but there’s still a big gap in Minnesota.

"Approximately half of those who need IVF do not receive it due to lack of insurance coverage, resulting in racial and ethnic access disparities," said Dr. April Batcheller, a fertility specialist at CCRM in Edina.

Insurers didn’t comment Wednesday, but the Minnesota Department of Commerce predicted a $1.30 per month increase in the average premium as a result of the mandate.

The same committee considering fertility coverage also has on the table mandates for abortion coverage and gender-affirming care.

A lawyer for the Minnesota Catholic Conference says all three bills address coverage Catholics don’t consider to be authentic healthcare.

He says healthcare is supposed to heal and restore, but abortion, IVF, and gender-affirming care do neither.

"In fact, two of these procedures destroy human life," said Sam Nelson. "The other prevents the proper functioning of the body through pharmaceuticals or surgery."

At the least, he argued the bills should include religious exemptions and two of them will, but the IVF mandate moved forward without one.