Aetna and Same-Sex Couples Reach Landmark Settlement in Fertility Treatment Dispute
A federal judge has approved a landmark class action settlement between Aetna, a subsidiary of CVS Health Corp., and a group of same-sex couples in New York who alleged the insurance company had discriminated against them when seeking fertility treatment.
The settlement, reached in October, requires Aetna to cover artificial insemination for all its customers nationwide and work towards providing equal access to costly in-vitro fertilization procedures. The judge’s approval marks the first time LGBTQ+ couples who were previously denied fertility coverage in the US can apply to be reimbursed.
The lawsuit was filed by Emma Goidel and her spouse Ilana Caplan, who were represented by the National Women’s Law Center. The couple alleged that Aetna had denied them numerous requests for funding their fertility treatments, leaving them to spend over $50,000 out of pocket to conceive their second child.
Goidel hopes that the settlement will pave the way for queer individuals who have faced similar barriers to starting a family to feel less alone. “LGBTQ+ folks are as deserving of becoming parents as anyone else on this planet,” she said.
Thirteen states require insurers to cover fertility treatments for same-sex couples who cannot conceive on their own, although companies with self-funded insurance policies are exempt. Cases have also been filed against other major insurance providers, including UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield.