A bill before Maine’s legislature would require private insurance companies to cover the costs of in-vitro fertilization treatments.
Maine and Vermont are the only New England states that do not require private insurers cover the cost of the therapeutic procedure.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Colleen Madigan, D-Waterville, would remove the financial burden that often plagues couples that seek fertility treatments.
According to Fertility Centers of New England, one round of in-vitro fertilization therapy can cost up to $20,000. For some, multiple rounds of IVF are needed which can send the cost of conception skyrocketing.
Madigan told News Center Maine that by sponsoring this bill, she would be encouraging insurance companies to offer affordable family planning services that could help to retain and grow Maine’s younger population.