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The CVS Health<\/a> company Aetna<\/a> announced<\/a> a \u201clandmark policy change\u201d on Tuesday, that it would expand its coverage of fertility services to include intrauterine insemination (IUI) as a medical benefit for eligible plans. It is the first major health insurer to do so. <\/p>\n \u201cExpanding IUI coverage is yet another demonstration of Aetna\u2019s commitment to women\u2019s health across all communities, including LGBTQ+ and unpartnered people,\u201d Dr. Cathy Moffitt, Senior Vice President and Aetna<\/a> Chief Medical Officer of CVS Health, said in a press release. \u201cThis industry-leading policy change is a stake in the ground, reflecting Aetna\u2019s support of all who need to use this benefit as a preliminary step in building their family.\u201d<\/p>\n IUI, sometimes called artificial insemination, is a procedure that helps<\/a> with infertility<\/a>\u2014affecting one in six people worldwide\u2014by boosting the chances of pregnancy<\/a>. It works by having a medical provider insert specially prepared sperm directly in the uterus at the time of ovulation in hopes that the sperm and egg will meet up in the fallopian tube, leading to pregnancy. <\/p>\n The procedure is most often used, according to the Mayo Clinic<\/a>, for the following reasons: <\/p>\n IUI is different from in-vitro fertilization<\/a> (IVF), which is more a more complex procedure involving egg stimulation through injectable hormones, egg retrieval, lab fertilization and eventual transfer of lab-created embryos to the uterus. <\/p>\n Aetna\u2019s announcement comes on the heels of the Democratic National Convention<\/a>, which highlighted access to reproductive care through many featured speakers, including vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, who has made it a point to talk about his family\u2019s struggle with infertility. \u201cIf you\u2019ve never experienced the hell that is infertility<\/a>, I guarantee you you know somebody who has,\u201d he said<\/a> during his Aug. 21 speech onstage at the DNC in Chicago. <\/p>\n Walz and his wife Gwen spent years trying to have their two children, using IUI for assistance, according to <\/a>various reports<\/a>. <\/p>\n Aetna\u2019s updated coverage policy begins nationwide on September 1, 2024 for many plans and will be effective on a rolling basis for most plans on renewal.<\/p>\n The insurer\u2019s move was praised by FOLX<\/a>, a nationwide health care provider for LGBTQ+ clients.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know firsthand the barriers people face in accessing needed medical care to start or grow their families,\u201d said FOLX Chief Clinical Officer Kate Steinle in the Aetna press release. \u201cAs an in-network provider focused on the LGBTQ+ community, we applaud Aetna\u2019s efforts to reduce out-of-pocket costs, so that more people can have the families they dream of\u2014and deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n CVS Health is a sponsor of Fortune Well.<\/em><\/p>\n More on infertility:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Subscribe to Well Adjusted, our newsletter full of simple strategies to work smarter and live better, from the Fortune Well team.\u00a0Sign up<\/a>\u00a0for free today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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