Worries of infertility after serious medical conditions or treatments are being lessened by a new Illinois law, effective January 1, 2019.
Pursuant to 215 ILCS 5/356z.29, any individual or group policy of accident and health insurance that is either amended, delivered, issued or renewed in Illinois after January 1, 2019, mustprovide coverage for medically necessary expenses for standard fertility preservation services when a necessary medical treatment may directly or indirectly cause infertility to a participant in the insurance plan.[1] Policies amended, delivered, issued, or renewed before this date are not required to include this coverage.
The causes of infertility that the insurance plans must cover includes surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or other medical treatment affecting reproductive organs or processes.[2] In determining what procedures will be covered, the statute indicates that procedures that have a likely possibility of causing side effects of infertility, based on medical standards, will be covered.[3]
Further, in determining coverage under this Section, the law provides that a provider cannot discriminate based on a variety of issues, including, a person’s expected length of life, present or predicted disability, degree of medical dependency, quality of life, age, sex, sexual orientation or marital status.[4]
If you have questions about this, or any other new law, contact our offices today!
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[1]215 ILCS 5/356z.29(b)
[2]215 ILCS 5/356z.29(a)
[3]Id.
[4]215 ILCS 5/356z.29(c)
