Does Insurance Cover IVF? 5 Ways to Get Coverage for Fertility Treatments

Last Updated: June 11, 2026

QUICK ANSWER: Whether insurance covers IVF depends primarily on three factors: your state (approximately 19 states have fertility coverage mandates as of 2026), your employer’s benefits plan, and your specific insurance policy. Patients in mandate states are most likely to have meaningful coverage. For those without coverage, employer benefits, HSA/FSA accounts, individual marketplace plans, and clinical trials are all worth evaluating. Most intended parents use a combination of approaches.

IVF is one of the most significant medical expenses many people will ever face, and a single cycle can cost $15,000 to $30,000 or more before medications. Whether any of that cost is covered depends on where you live, who you work for, and what plan you are on. Here is a clear breakdown of your five main options for getting coverage.

1. Check Whether Your State Has a Fertility Coverage Mandate

This is the most important first step and the one most people overlook.

As of 2025, approximately 19 states have enacted laws that require health insurance plans to cover some form of fertility diagnosis or treatment, including IVF. These are called fertility coverage mandates. States with strong mandates require that fully insured employer plans and individual plans cover IVF, often with limited or no cycle caps.

Why this Matters

If you live in a mandate state and are covered by a fully insured employer plan or an individual marketplace plan, your insurer may be legally required to cover IVF. This is a legal requirement.

Important Limitations

State mandates apply to fully insured plans (plans regulated by your state). They do not apply to self-funded employer plans (also called ERISA plans), which are regulated by federal law and exempt from state mandates. Many large employers self-fund their plans. Ask your HR team whether your employer’s plan is fully insured or self-funded, because this distinction determines whether state mandate protections apply to you.

What to Do

Check RESOLVE’s state mandate tracker (resolve.org) to see whether your state has a mandate and what it covers. Then confirm with your HR team or insurer whether your plan is subject to that mandate.

2. Understand and Use Your Employer’s Fertility Benefits

Even without a state mandate, many employers, particularly at mid-to-large companies, offer fertility benefit allowances or partner with fertility benefits platforms.

Platforms like Carrot (get.carrothq.com) and Progyny (progyny.com) are used by hundreds of employers to administer fertility benefits. Allowances vary widely, ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 or more at some employers. If your company partners with one of these platforms, you may have access to substantial fertility benefits you are not aware of.

If your current employer does not offer fertility benefits, it is worth raising the issue with HR. Fertility benefits have expanded significantly since 2020, and many employers have added them in response to employee demand. Advocating for better benefits is a legitimate path, particularly at smaller or mid-sized companies where HR decisions are more responsive to individual input.

If you are currently job-searching, fertility benefits are a meaningful factor worth weighing alongside salary and other benefits. Resources like FertilityIQ publish employer fertility benefit rankings, and Carrot’s website includes an employer search tool.

3. Use HSA and FSA Accounts for Out-of-Pocket Costs

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are among the most widely applicable yet underutilized tools for managing IVF costs.

Both HSA and FSA funds can be used tax-free for qualified medical expenses, including IVF. Because contributions to these accounts are pre-tax, using them for IVF effectively reduces your out-of-pocket cost by your marginal tax rate.

HSAs are available to people enrolled in a high-deductible health plan. Contributions roll over year to year, which means you can accumulate funds in advance of a planned cycle. FSAs are offered through many employer plans and have a use-it-or-lose-it structure within the plan year, but they can still offset high costs for a cycle happening within the same year.

Additionally, IVF-related medical expenses above a certain threshold may be deductible for federal income tax purposes. The IRS allows deductions for qualifying medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. A tax professional can advise on what IVF-related costs qualify and whether the deduction is advantageous in your specific situation.

4. Evaluate Individual and Marketplace Plans Carefully

If you are not covered by an employer plan, individual plans purchased through the ACA marketplace or directly from an insurer are another option, particularly if you live in a state with a fertility coverage mandate that applies to individual plans.

Individual plans vary considerably in what they cover for fertility treatments. Some include IVF; many do not. If you are enrolling in an individual plan and fertility coverage is a priority, review the Summary of Benefits and Coverage document for each plan carefully, or contact the insurer directly to confirm what fertility treatments are covered before enrolling.

Open enrollment for ACA marketplace plans typically runs November 1 through January 15 each year, with special enrollment periods triggered by qualifying life events such as loss of employer coverage, marriage, or a change in household size.

A note on timing: Individual plans typically have a waiting period before fertility benefits take effect. If you are planning to start IVF within the next few months, confirm any waiting periods before selecting a plan.

5. Ask Your Fertility Clinic About Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are a legitimate, if limited, option for reducing or eliminating IVF costs. Fertility clinics and academic medical centers occasionally run trials testing new medications, protocols, or technologies related to assisted reproduction. Participants in these trials typically have some or all of their treatment costs covered as part of the study.

Clinical trials participation involves specific eligibility criteria, and the protocol may differ from standard care. But for patients who qualify, they represent a meaningful opportunity to access treatment at reduced or no cost.

To find out about current fertility-related trials, tell your fertility clinic you are interested in participating and ask to be notified of relevant studies. You can also search clinicaltrials.gov directly using terms like “IVF,” “infertility,” or “assisted reproduction.”

Why Knowledge is Power When it Comes to Dealing with Infertility

We get it. Infertility brings many challenges. But being informed can help you make the best decisions for your family. No parent should have to give up their right to have a family because of financial strains. 

No matter what path you take, we’re here to help you every step of the way. Call Elevate Baby at 323-933-8918 with questions today.

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