MADISON – Madison, WI – On October 7th, State Senator Kelda Roys (D-Madison) and State Representative Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire) stand together with patients, medical professionals, and supporters of the Building Families Alliance of Wisconsin from across the state to introduce the Wisconsin Building Families Act. Infertility affects 1 in 6 individuals globally and more than 172,000 people in Wisconsin.
Today, Wisconsin receives a C rating from RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. By contrast, neighboring Illinois, which offers state-mandated insurance coverage for fertility treatment, receives an A-minus. Wisconsin can change that. The Wisconsin Building Families Act will expand access and remove economic barriers to fertility treatment by requiring health plans to cover fertility treatment and fertility preservation services.
“For too many families the financial burden is the greatest challenge they must overcome to fulfill their dreams of parenthood. Today, fewer than one fourth of insurance plans provide some level of coverage for these services and those who require treatment are often left with medical bills well in excess of $10,000. We must act now to ensure all Wisconsinites have the support they need to build their families,” said Dr. Bala Bhagavath, reproductive endocrinologist, Director of Generations Fertility Care, and co-chair of the Building Families Alliance of Wisconsin. “By encouraging our elected officials to sponsor and advance the Building Families Act, we have an opportunity to turn the tide.”
Infertility is a disease or status characterized by the inability to achieve a successful pregnancy or the need for medical intervention to achieve a successful pregnancy. Research shows that the stress people experience when being diagnosed with infertility is comparable to what people experience when they are diagnosed with cancer. Despite the prevalence and impact of this disease, coverage of infertility treatment is not required in Wisconsin.
“When I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 28, in the middle of medical training, my world stopped. Every aspect of the future I had envisioned for myself was put into question. Fertility preservation gave me hope — the chance to one day have children of my own. But that hope came with a $17,000 price tag and no insurance coverage. Young patients diagnosed with cancer must quickly make the choice of whether to undergo fertility preservation often at a time in their lives where money is the tightest. The Wisconsin Building Families Act would ensure that for young people with cancer, their futures can still look how they’ve always dreamed.” shares Dr. Lauren VanDeHey, cancer survivor and OB/GYN Resident at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
The Parkinson’s Disease Alliance of Wisconsin encourages Wisconsinites to reach out to their elected representatives in the State Legislature to encourage their support of this legislation. For more information and to take action, individuals are invited to visit www.pdalliancewi.org.
