Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Benefit Design topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board adds one-time sperm-freezing coverage to infertility benefits
Summary
The board unanimously approved a one-time benefit to cover sperm collection and freezing for up to one year to equalize infertility benefits across genders; staff said utilization and incremental cost are not yet known.
The board voted unanimously to add a one-time covered benefit for sperm collection and freezing for up to one year for medical reasons, such as cancer treatment. Director Catherine Dodd explained that the change is intended to equalize a recently adopted comprehensive infertility and reproductive-technology benefit that had previously focused on gamete (female) services.
"It focused on the female gender and that there are infertility issues related to the male gender," Dodd said, explaining the proposed one-time collection and freezing. Commissioners asked about estimated utilization and cost; Dodd responded there is no reliable utilization estimate at this time and that one vendor indicated it could not implement sperm freezing immediately. The board moved to approve the one-year, one-time collection benefit and passed the motion unanimously with no public comment.
Staff will follow up with vendor feasibility and cost estimates before implementation and incorporate any operational limits into plan materials.
