In response to this devasting blow for our military families, Rep. Sara Jacobs and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, joined by bipartisan partners Rep. Jennifer Kiggans and Rep. Nick LaLota have introduced a new bill with the same IVF language that was in the NDAA.

We’re grateful for their leadership and for every advocate who answered our call to action. This fight for our military families is not over. No service member should have to choose between serving their country and building their family.

RESOLVE will keep pushing until military families have the care they need and deserve.

“Failing to include IVF coverage in the NDAA is a dishonor to our servicemembers who make extraordinary sacrifices for our freedoms. There was bipartisan support for this coverage, and its exclusion fails to advance President Trump’s call to expand IVF access. Military families have waited far too long to access the full range of medical care needed to build their families. RESOLVE will not stop fighting until every American has access to the care they need to build the family they dream of.”

About RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association:
Established in 1974, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association is a non-profit organization with the only established nationwide network mandated to promote reproductive health and to ensure equal access to all family building options for anyone experiencing infertility or challenges in building their family. RESOLVE addresses this public health issue by providing community to all who need it, connecting them with others who can help, empowering them to find resolution and giving voice to their demands for access to all family building options. For more information, visit www.RESOLVE.org.

This law also includes ensuring safe access to fertility clinics. It is your right to be able to walk into your fertility clinic free of harassment, violence or blockage from the entrance. Since its enactment, the FACE Act has been instrumental in reducing such violence and ensuring safe access to care.

There is a bill that was introduced earlier this year in the House of Representatives to repeal the FACE Act, and it is now waiting to be discussed in the House Judiciary Committee. RESOLVE is very concerned about this news, and we are monitoring it closely, but we need you to act now. It’s time that Congress heard that this law is important to our community. The recent targeted bombing of a fertility clinic in Palm Springs makes it clearer than ever that we need more protections for patients and providers, not fewer.

Contact your Representative and urge them to oppose any efforts to repeal the FACE Act. Emphasize the importance of protecting safe access to reproductive health care, including fertility treatments. No one should fear for their safety while trying to seek care to build their family.

In several states across the country, including Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Kansas, legislators introduced bills that, if they had passed, would make the practice of IVF very difficult — if not outlawed — in their state.

Barbara Collura, President and CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association and leader of the organization’s Fight For Families Campaign, issued the following statement reflecting on the first year post-Dobbs:

“The overturning of Roe v. Wade sent shockwaves throughout the country and the world. The decision, as advocates feared, has given legislators free rein to limit the full range of reproductive care.

“While IVF is still accessible in every state today, as part of our Fight for Families campaign we will continue to track legislation, mobilize advocates, and educate lawmakers about how pending bills might impact those who need access to IVF to build their family. This is a fight that we will not back down on; ever.

“We need our legislators to make it easier, not harder, for people to have their baby and fulfill their dream of parenthood. Raise your voice alongside RESOLVE and advocate for pro-family legislation. Share your story and connect with RESOLVE at fightforfamilies.resolve.org/stories.”

Given that the Conference Committee deliberations were not public, we do not know why this provision was left out, particularly since there would have been no cost to the state of Minnesota. Our hearts break for the Minnesotans who are struggling to build their families and will have to wait another year as we go back to the legislature in 2024 to advocate for this coverage.

We thank our champions in the legislature, Senator Erin Maye Quade and Representative Jeff Brand, and call on all Minnesotans to join us as we continue to push for pro-family legislation in the Minnesota state legislature.

The VHA is prohibited by regulation to provide IVF, however, since 2016, some veterans with a service-connected injury can get access to IVF, but it is very narrow coverage. It will require Congress to act to allow the VA to offer all family building options to all veterans. Opposition to this access to care for veterans’ centers on the creation of embryos and what happens to those embryos.

During her testimony, Collura made a case for one of the country’s largest healthcare systems provide quality care for our Veterans. “As America’s largest integrated health care system providing care to nine million enrolled veterans, the VHA is expected to provide the most current standard of care to veterans experiencing any health condition or disease. Infertility is a disease…Just like any other disease, the VHA should provide access to care to help veterans who may struggle to build their family.”

Released Date: June 24, 2022

RESOLVE stands with the family building community and acknowledges their fears and concerns over the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade and how it may impact people’s ability to access medical care to build their family. Reproductive health decisions at all stages of life should be between the patient and their doctor.

We believe that without the protection of Roe v Wade, state lawmakers now have an open door to introduce far-reaching legislation that will create barriers for people to access medical procedures like IVF or to receive medications that help a patient suffering an ectopic pregnancy or pregnancy loss. Not only do people have the right to create embryos, but they are the only ones who have the right to determine what happens to their embryos. People, including those experiencing an ectopic pregnancy or pregnancy loss, have the right to medical assistance and medications.

Today, the stakes have never been greater. When legislation is introduced that is meant to limit or prevent abortion access and that legislation also threatens access to safe and effective family building options, we will fight it. RESOLVE will mobilize grassroots advocates across the country, share stories from our community with lawmakers and the media, and work with our advocacy partners so that the voices of our community are loud and are heard. We will not back down. We will fight every bill, ballot initiative, or regulation that threatens access to building a family.

Sign up for RESOLVE’s Advocacy Network to join the fight.

RESOLVE fights for women’s health priorities every day and reaffirms that only the woman and her physician should decide the best course of treatment for her and condemns any efforts to interfere with or override that relationship.

RESOLVE is moving quickly on creating accurate information we can share about how our community is impacted by the likely overturning of Roe v Wade. We’re creating ways to mobilize and educate our advocates on these developing issues. And as always, we remain diligent in analyzing every bill introduced at the state and federal levels that touches our community.

We appreciate those that have reached out to RESOLVE asking for information, direction, and how they can help. We see an opportunity to ensure that our community understands what Personhood is, its impact, and how to fight it. This is education and training that RESOLVE is committed to providing. Our fear is that overturning Roe v Wade could give the “green light” to state legislatures to introduce even more restrictive abortion bills that include Personhood or other details that impact the creation of embryos or that put a woman’s health at risk.

We’ve also had people ask about states with “Trigger Laws” and if they impact access to IVF. At this time, we do not have any indication that they would, but we continue to work with law experts and collaborate closely with physicians in those states to do everything we can to ensure access to care remains available. We know there is concern about the laws in MO and we’re working with experts to determine next steps.

We know you are concerned and want to do something. Your passion in raising your voice has already given millions of people the access to care they need and deserve through increased insurance coverage. We now need to come together and raise our voices to ensure that every person has the legal right to access that care in every state. If you are not signed up for the RESOLVE Advocacy Network (RAN), now would be good time to do that.

RESOLVE believes nothing should come between you and your right to build your family.

Thank you for standing with us as we closely monitor the ever-changing environment. We know with our community of advocates we’ll be ready to lead the fight to preserve access to family building options. We’ll continue to communicate via social media and email. We urge you to join our RESOLVE Advocacy Network for the most update information and ways you can take action.

(April 28, 2022, McLean, VA) – RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association celebrates one million covered lives through its Coverage at Work program. This free program empowers people, whose health insurance is provided by their employer, to talk to their HR benefits managers about adding benefits and coverage that help them build their family.

This program launched in 2016, and since then RESOLVE has tracked more than 45 companies who because their employee used RESOLVE’s program, have added family building benefits, the biggest being insurance coverage for medically necessary treatments like In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). The total number of these employees with new or expanded healthcare benefits for family building options reached 1 million in April 2022.

“Adding family building benefits is a win-win for employers and employees. Employers often don’t realize there is a gap in benefits until their employees point it out. Satisfying employee requests is a top reason cited by employers for adding these benefits. RESOLVE looks forward to working with employees and employers alike to welcome the next one million employees with new or improved family building benefits, but let’s not wait another 6 years to reach that milestone, as family building can’t wait,” said Betsy Campbell, Chief Engagement Officer for RESOLVE.

The 2021 Survey on Fertility Benefits from Mercer and commissioned by RESOLVE, found that 97% of employers who added coverage for IVF did not see a significant increase in costs. In fact, this report finds this highly valued benefit is both affordable and beneficial to companies in terms of attracting and retaining talent, being recognized as a family friendly employer, and supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts.

“At the Medical College of Wisconsin, we believe it is important to provide inclusive benefits for our employees, and that means fertility benefits are a must-have. Infertility is a common and growing diagnosis, and the demand for fertility benefits continues to increase. It is both an important family friendly benefit for our employees and one way in which we remain competitive in the job market,” said Director of Benefits at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

1 in 8 couples has trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy and many more people face barriers to building a family. The financial stress around building a family can easily impact an employee’s daily life and mental health. According to a survey commissioned by RESOLVE of 702 employees who needed IVF to build their families, those without employer-provided fertility insurance coverage often expressed dissatisfaction and, in some cases, the desire to look for new employment opportunities with employers who provide coverage.

“We believe it is critical that we continuously evaluate our benefits offering and identify how best to support our workforce. An essential aspect of this work is engaging with our employees to understand their needs and we appreciate programs like RESOLVE that encourage these discussions,” said Marc Serrilli, HR Total Rewards, Vice President, The J.M. Smucker Co. “Through dialogue with our employees, we identified the need for enhanced infertility services, which were made available to employees on February 1, 2022. This enhanced offering builds on our efforts to provide inclusive and accessible family building options via infertility services, adoption reimbursement and surrogacy reimbursement.”

The hope is that when companies add these benefits it allows their employees to start or grow their families without the added financial stress. Many employees would not become parents without these live-altering benefits. Kienan Robinson volunteered as an advocate in 2019 and worked hard on the issue to help pass a mandate for IVF treatment in New York. When she realized that her employer was self-insured and would not be subjected to the new mandate, she turned her attention and her passion to the benefits team of the regional medical center where she works. Now Kienan, a mother of three, has brought the same benefits to her colleagues that other NY employers provide through a state insurance law.

“Securing benefits through my employer was life changing.  Had we not gained access to fertility coverage my husband and I would have been forced to stop trying for our family as the financial burden became too overwhelming.  After the New York State mandate was passed, I reached out to our VP of Human Resources at the time to discuss the importance of including the mandate in our benefits package.  She was extremely receptive and truly believed these benefits were necessary to provide employees.  The company mirrored the coverage exactly as it was mandated and now over 1,000 employees have access to coverage. I’m so thankful to have had such a supportive team and would encourage everyone to make the ask to their employer,” said Kienan Robinson.

Employees and employers can easily download a free toolkit to get the conversations started about how to add these important, inclusive benefits. www.resolve.org/coverageatwork

RESOLVE’s Coverage at Work program is generously funded through grants from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and EMD Serono.

About RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association: Established in 1974, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association is a non-profit organization with the only established, nationwide network mandated to promote reproductive health and to ensure equal access to all family building options for anyone experiencing infertility or challenges in building their family. One in eight U.S. couples of childbearing age has trouble conceiving or carrying a pregnancy to term. RESOLVE addresses this public health issue by providing community to all who need it, connecting them with others who can help, empowering them to find resolution and giving voice to their demands for access to all family building options. For more information, visit www.RESOLVE.org.

The time is now to get organized, be loud, and show up.
Family building issues are bi-partisan and we need to find support where we can.

“I had been told over and over again that I would walk away feeling empowered. They were right. I was heard…Our community was heard.”

This year RESOLVE’s Advocacy Day will be in partnership with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). Advocacy Day is a RESOLVE event where the infertility community comes together to talk to Members of Congress about important issues, like increased access to family building options and financial relief.