Many federal employees in need of infertility treatments have been on the hook for medical bills for procedures not covered by government health insurers. And for decades, reproductive health care has been a hushed topic and misunderstood about how it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That discourse is changing, say health experts who have been watching the government\u2019s response to industry and states that are moving to offer more options for infertility in employee benefit plans. This month, the White House\u2019s Office of Personnel Management revealed it will be requiring<\/a> \u2014 not just encouraging \u2014 providers of federal insurance to expand coverage for common infertility procedures and be more clear about what they\u2019re offering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For some federal employees, like Heather Peterson, who rely on infertility treatments, that means \u201ceverything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just the government; there\u2019s just generally not fertility coverage,\u201d she said in an interview. \u201cI\u2019m grateful that it\u2019s even a conversation … It\u2019s heartening. It feels like there\u2019s movement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t