The New York State Assembly passed legislation today to provide insurance coverage for New Yorkers facing infertility, according to Speaker Sheldon Silver, sponsor of the measure. Action on the legislation marks the fourth consecutive year the house has sought to assist couples struggling with infertility.

"The tremendous pain associated with infertility is often compounded by questions concerning the cost of treatment and the availability of insurance coverage. The issue of financial hardship often puts infertility treatment out of reach for middle class couples," said Silver. "By passing this bill, we hope to ease some of the pain often experienced in dealing with infertility and provide for insurance coverage through a fair and responsive public policy.

"For too many couples, the lack of insurance coverage for infertility treatment stands in their way of becoming parents," said Silver. "Trying to start a family - even if it requires the assistance of reproductive technology - should never force a couple to mortgage their future because of the expense of these procedures."

The Silver bill (A.2003) requires health-insurance coverage to include diagnostic testing and treatment for infertility. It requires medical insurers and health maintenance organizations to cover the cost of diagnosing infertility. Among procedures included for insurance coverage under the bill are drug therapy, artificial insemination and in-vitro fertilization.

The bill permits health insurers to subject this additional coverage to annual deductibles and co-insurance and limits the number of the more costly procedures, such as in-vitro fertilization, that must be covered by a health insurer. The bill also requires that all procedures be performed at medical facilities that conform to the standards of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists or the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

ASRM reports that infertility affects about 6.1 million people in the United States - about 10 percent of the reproductive-age population. Most infertility cases (85 to 90 percent) are treated with conventional medical therapies, such as medication or surgery. While vital for some patients, in-vitro fertilization and similar treatments account for less than five percent of infertility services, and only three-hundredths of one percent of U.S. health-care costs.

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