Pittsburgh to cover the cost of infertility treatments for its employees

Next year, Pittsburgh will offer free fertility coverage to its employees, the city announced Wednesday.

“City officials heard from employees that they would like the coverage,” said Tim McNulty, Mayor Bill Peduto’s spokesman. “The city is always seeking ways to support its workers, including watching best practices used by other peer cities.”

Providing the benefit will cost the city about $171,000 per year, McNulty said.

Mayor @billpeduto today announced that @CityPGH will for the first time offer fertility coverage to its employees, for free.

Starting in 2021 we will offer two cycles of In Vitro Fertilization for those covered under those municipal health care plans. https://t.co/UGdp8w9GEN

— Office of the Mayor (@TheNextPGH) August 26, 2020

Two cycles of in vitro fertilization for those on the city’s health care plan and those seeking the treatment will not see an increase in their contribution to the coverage or have to pay other costs, according to the city.

Typically, one cycle of IVF treatments costs an average of $14,000 in Pennsylvania, according to IVF Authority, a San Francisco based organization that analyzes IVF data from across the county.

Philadelphia offers similar coverage for its employees and New York mandates insurance plans provide the coverage.

New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland also provide the coverage for state employees, according to Betsy Campbell, chief engagement officer for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association.

RESOLVE tracks state-level legislation and coverage for infertility issues but it doesn’t track which cities do so, she said.

“We’re delighted that Pittsburgh is providing this for its employees. We wish more companies and states would do the same,” she said.

Cost of often the top obstacle facing people who want to conceive a child but can’t and providing insurance coverage helps to ensure that people seek safe treatment, Campbell said.

Removing the costs constraints means that people will opt to refrain from using multiple embryos for IVF, decreasing multiple births, health risks and costs associated with delivery of twins, Campbell said.

“People without insurance coverage make riskier decisions,” she said.

The move is an effort to make the city a welcoming place to work, Peduto said.

“We are always looking to improve the quality of life for our employees and their families,” Peduto said in a statement.

The coverage builds on efforts the city has already undertaken for its employees including coverage of gender affirmation treatments and sex change surgery — something the Pittsburgh has offered since 2018.

The city scored a perfect 100 on Human Rights Campaign’s 2019 Municipal Equality Index that compares cities on the basis of nondiscrimination laws, the benefits they offer to LGBTQ employees and their relationship with LGBTQ residents.

Pennsylvania is not among the 19 states that legally require infertility to be covered as part of a health care plan, according to RESOLVE.

According to research done by city officials, Pittsburgh joins Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco and Seattle in providing both infertility and gender assignment coverage of it employees, McNulty said.