Pennsylvania lawmakers introduce bill requiring insurances cover IVF treatments

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — A new bill has been introduced in Pennsylvania that would require insurance companies to cover IVF treatments.

State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara (D-Delaware County), recently detailed her and her husband’s struggles with having a child, as it was discovered her husband was infertile due to wounds he received in combat. However, in vitro fertilization (IVF) changed her luck for the better.

“November 18, 2021, the best day of my life, when I got the phone call that we finally were successful and I was pregnant,” Rep. O’Mara said.

Her next best day was July 24, when her daughter, Katherine Rose, was born, thanks to IVF , a procedure in which a woman’s egg is combined with a man’s sperm in a laboratory dish, creating an embryo that is then transferred to the woman’s uterus to potentially establish a pregnancy. Rep. O’Mara says too many couples aren’t so lucky.

“It’s really heartbreaking when you hear about all these people trying to have a baby and how hard it is and how expensive it is,” O’Mara said.

Rep. O’Mara introduced House Bill 1383 , a bill that would require insurance companies to cover IVF treatments, and even went public with her personal story. She received lots of empathy, but not enough support in the chamber. There is no move in Pennsylvania to ban or restrict IVF, there are questions.

“The real concern here is the discarding of human life, of the IVF procedure, though it may result in the live birth, also then creates other human beings who are discarded, either thrown out or frozen perpetually with no future,” said Michael Geer of the PA Family Institute.

Geer is with the PA Family Institute and loves babies and life, but argues that there are ethical questions around unused embryos, selected abortions, if more than one implanted embryo takes, and couples trying to choose specific genes, such as blonde hair, blue-eyed boys.

“How humanity takes the role of God, if you will, and says that we can do whatever we can do technologically, we should do leaves aside the ethical concerns,” Geer said.

Rep. O’Mara says most House Republicans were reluctant to sign on to her bill, however, some Republicans are open to IVF treatment legislation, including Republican Senate leader Joe Pittman, who said he would never support any IVF ban or restriction.

“My wife and I use fertility treatments early in our marriage,” Pittman said. “I firmly believe that husbands and wives need to have every opportunity to become mothers and fathers and fertility treatments are a big part of that.”

Still, many lawmakers are hesitant to support IVF. To them. O’Mara says this:

“Come meet my daughter and tell me why I shouldn’t be able to have her or give her a sibling.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com.