Does Insurance Cover IVF?

Insurance may cover some or all of your IVF treatment, but benefits vary widely depending on your health plan, employer and state. When you are already navigating fertility treatment, not knowing what insurance will pay for can add another layer of financial stress.

Understanding your benefits early can help you make informed decisions about IVF costs and what you may need to pay out of pocket. If you are creating embryos for a future surrogacy journey, thoughtful planning can also help you make the most of your existing fertility benefits before moving to the next stage.

Fill out our contact form to connect with a specialist. We can help you understand how your IVF and embryo plans fit into the surrogacy process and prepare for your next steps toward parenthood.

What Parts of IVF Are Usually Covered and What Usually Isn’t?

Having IVF coverage does not necessarily mean every part of your treatment will be paid for. Your plan may cover certain medical services while limiting or excluding laboratory procedures, medications or embryo-related expenses.

Commonly Covered IVF Services

Depending on your plan, coverage may include:

Diagnostic Testing: Bloodwork, ovarian reserve testing, ultrasounds and semen analysis used to evaluate fertility.
Cycle Monitoring: Bloodwork and ultrasounds used to monitor your response to ovarian stimulation.
Fertility Medications: Oral or injectable medications may be covered through your medical or pharmacy benefits, although prior authorization and coverage limits may apply.
Egg Retrieval: Some plans with IVF benefits cover the retrieval procedure, physician services and related facility costs.
Embryo Transfer: Coverage may include preparation, monitoring and the embryo transfer procedure.

IVF Services Where Coverage Varies

Some of the biggest unexpected expenses come from services that are not included in a plan’s standard IVF benefits:

ICSI: Coverage varies and may depend on whether your insurer considers the procedure medically necessary.
PGT: Genetic testing of embryos may be excluded or covered only under certain medical circumstances.
Embryo Storage: Initial freezing may be covered in some circumstances, while ongoing embryo storage costs are often treated separately.
Donor Gametes: Coverage for donor eggs or sperm varies, and expenses such as donor compensation or program fees may remain out of pocket.

Ask your insurer and fertility clinic for an itemized benefits review before treatment. Knowing which services fall outside your coverage can help you build a more realistic IVF budget before those expenses arise.

How Much Does IVF Cost With Insurance?

A single IVF cycle can cost about $15,000 to $30,000 or more before insurance when medications and common services are included. With insurance, your actual out-of-pocket cost could be substantially lower, but there is no single average that applies to every plan. Several parts of your coverage determine what you ultimately pay:

Deductible: You may need to spend a certain amount on covered care before your insurance begins paying its share.
Copays: Your plan may charge a fixed amount for appointments, medications or other covered services.
Coinsurance: After meeting your deductible, you may still be responsible for a percentage of covered IVF expenses.
Annual Out-of-Pocket Maximum: Once you reach this limit for eligible in-network care, your plan generally pays 100% of additional covered benefits for the rest of the plan year.
Non-Covered Services: Expenses your plan excludes, such as certain genetic testing, embryo storage or donor services, generally remain your responsibility and usually do not count toward your out-of-pocket maximum.

Fertility benefits may also have their own dollar or cycle limits. Reviewing these details before treatment can give you a much clearer estimate of what IVF will actually cost you after insurance.

Which States Require Insurance to Cover IVF?

Several states and Washington, D.C., have laws requiring certain health plans to provide or offer infertility benefits that may include IVF. However, the rules vary significantly by state, and living in one of these states does not guarantee that your specific health plan covers IVF. Current state requirements include:

Arkansas: Certain health plans must cover IVF when eligibility requirements are met, subject to coverage limitations. Review Arkansas law.
California: State law requires certain health plans to provide infertility and fertility-services coverage, including IVF, with requirements that vary by plan type and effective date.
Colorado: Certain state-regulated plans must cover infertility diagnosis and treatment, including IVF and related fertility services.
Connecticut: Certain health plans must cover medically necessary infertility treatment, including IVF, subject to eligibility and benefit requirements.
Delaware: Certain health plans must cover fertility care, including IVF, with specific requirements and limitations established by state law.
Hawaii: Certain health plans provide a one-time IVF benefit for eligible patients who meet the state's requirements.
Illinois: Certain group health plans must cover infertility diagnosis and treatment, including IVF, subject to state requirements and benefit limits.
Maine: Certain health plans must provide coverage for fertility diagnostic care and treatment, including assisted reproductive technology.
Maryland: Certain health plans must cover IVF when eligibility requirements are met, subject to the state's coverage rules.
Massachusetts: Certain health plans must cover medically necessary infertility diagnosis and treatment, which can include IVF.
New Hampshire: Certain health plans must cover infertility diagnosis, treatment and fertility preservation services, including assisted reproductive technology.
New Jersey: Certain health plans must cover infertility diagnosis and treatment, including IVF, subject to eligibility and coverage requirements.
New York: Certain large-group health plans must cover up to three IVF cycles, while other fertility benefits vary by plan.
Rhode Island: Certain health plans must provide infertility coverage when state eligibility and medical-necessity requirements are met.
Utah: Utah provides more limited fertility coverage requirements than many states on this list, including benefits affecting certain health plans and populations.
Washington, D.C.: Certain health plans must cover infertility diagnosis and treatment, including IVF and other fertility services, subject to the District's requirements.

State mandates generally apply only to specific state-regulated insurance plans. Self-funded employer plans are generally governed by federal ERISA rules and are not required to follow state benefit mandates, so always confirm your coverage directly with your employer and insurer.

Does Your Insurance Company Cover IVF?

IVF coverage often depends more on your employer-sponsored benefits, state fertility mandates and specific plan design than on the insurance company itself. Always check your individual benefits before assuming IVF is covered.

Does Blue Cross Blue Shield Cover IVF?

Blue Cross Blue Shield may cover IVF under certain plans, but benefits vary by local BCBS company, employer and state. Check your specific plan for IVF coverage, prior authorization requirements and benefit limits.

Does TRICARE Cover IVF?

TRICARE generally does not cover IVF, although it does cover certain services used to diagnose and treat underlying causes of infertility. Qualifying service members may have access to assisted reproductive services under separate military programs.

Does Aetna Cover IVF?

Aetna may cover IVF when fertility treatment is included in your specific plan. Coverage requirements can include prior authorization, participating providers and other plan-specific criteria.

Does Cigna Cover IVF?

Cigna may cover IVF through certain employer-sponsored fertility benefits. Coverage, network requirements and authorization rules depend on your specific plan.

Does Kaiser Permanente Cover IVF?

Kaiser Permanente IVF coverage varies by region and health plan. Some plans include IVF benefits while others exclude or limit treatment, so review your regional Evidence of Coverage carefully.

Does United Healthcare Cover IVF?

United Healthcare may cover IVF when your plan includes infertility benefits. Prior authorization, benefit limits and eligibility requirements can vary by plan and state.

Does Insurance Cover Surrogacy?

Health insurance generally covers eligible medical care, not the agency, legal or compensation expenses involved in gestational surrogacy. If you have IVF benefits, some treatment completed before surrogacy may still qualify for coverage under your plan. Coverage generally breaks down like this:

May Be Covered: Egg retrieval, fertility medications, IVF laboratory services and an embryo transfer to the intended mother, depending on your fertility benefits.
Generally Not Covered: Surrogacy agency fees, surrogate compensation, legal services, an embryo transfer to your surrogate and other surrogacy costs.
Surrogate Pregnancy and Delivery: These medical expenses require separate insurance planning. A surrogate’s existing health plan may provide maternity coverage if it does not exclude surrogacy, while other journeys may require additional coverage.

Reviewing both your fertility benefits and your surrogate’s insurance coverage can help you understand which medical expenses may be covered and which should be included in your surrogacy budget.

How to Verify Your IVF Insurance Benefits Before Treatment

Before starting IVF, contact your insurer and ask exactly what your plan covers. Having these answers in writing can help you build a more realistic budget and reduce the risk of unexpected costs during treatment. Use this checklist when reviewing your benefits:

IVF Coverage: Does my plan cover IVF itself, or only infertility testing and diagnosis?
Pre-Authorization: Do I need approval before beginning an IVF cycle, and what documentation is required?
Cycle or Lifetime Limits: Is there a limit on the number of IVF cycles or a maximum dollar benefit?
Medication Coverage: Are fertility medications covered, and are they billed through my medical or pharmacy benefits?
Network Requirements: Which fertility clinics, specialists and laboratories are in-network?
PGT Coverage: Does my plan cover preimplantation genetic testing, and under what circumstances?
ICSI Coverage: Is ICSI included with IVF, or does it require separate authorization or medical necessity?
Embryo Storage: Does my plan cover embryo freezing or storage, and if so, for how long?

Ask your insurer for a written summary of your fertility benefits, then review it with your fertility clinic’s financial counselor. This can help you compare your coverage with your clinic’s estimate before treatment begins.

How We Help Intended Parents Protect Their IVF Investment

If your family-building path moves from IVF to gestational surrogacy, understanding how your existing fertility benefits fit into the next stage can help you make more informed financial decisions. We coordinate with insurance professionals when appropriate to help clarify coverage and identify expenses that may need to be included in your surrogacy budget.

Our full-service surrogacy programs give you a clearer understanding of expected agency, medical, legal and surrogate-related expenses before you move forward.

For intended parents who want additional financial protection, our Limited Risk Program provides unlimited rematching and protection from certain repeat agency fees if an eligible match disruption occurs. This can help protect more of the investment you have already made on your path to parenthood.

Next Steps if You’re Planning IVF or Considering Surrogacy

Understanding your IVF benefits can give you a clearer picture of what is financially possible and what you may need to pay out of pocket. Start by requesting a written summary of your fertility benefits so you can make informed decisions about what comes next.

If you already have embryos or are considering a gestational surrogate after IVF, the time, hope and resources you have invested still matter. Fill out our contact form to connect with a surrogacy specialist and learn how your existing embryos could bring you closer to growing your family.