New York City Council Advocates for IVF Coverage for Gay Men

The LGBTQIA+ Caucus of the New York City Council is urging Mayor Eric Adams to extend coverage for in vitro fertilization (IVF) to gay men employed by the city, as reported by Politico.

Currently, the city’s health plan only covers IVF cycles for employees, females, and males with female partners who have been diagnosed with infertility.

According to a 2020 state law, insurance plans are required to cover three IVF cycles for individuals who are unable to conceive or impregnate someone else. The cost of a single IVF cycle can range from $15,000 to $30,000, as reported by Forbes last year.

“As City Council members, we firmly believe that family-building benefits should be available to all employees, regardless of a heteronormative infertility definition,” stated the caucus in a letter to Adams, according to Politico.

“Although the City’s discriminatory policy predates this Administration, the current Administration has the power to address this issue.”

Recently, a former assistant district attorney in New York City and his husband sued the city for discriminating against gay men by not covering IVF for them, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The lawsuit alleges that the city’s policy discriminates against same-sex couples who are unable to receive an infertility diagnosis.

Corey Briskin, the former assistant district attorney who filed the lawsuit with his husband, is set to testify at a City Council health committee hearing to discuss a bill that would mandate the city to cover assisted reproduction services and adoption for municipal employees without an infertility diagnosis.

“We hope that the City Council’s leadership on this issue will influence Mayor Adams,” stated Peter Romer-Friedman, Briskin’s attorney, according to Politico.

Queens Councilmember Lynn Schulman is sponsoring the legislation.

“This is about equity, it’s about everybody being able to access the same services,” stated Schulman, as reported by Gothamist. “And the fact that one group can’t access them and another can is not fair.”

An Adams spokesperson mentioned that the city’s health plan covers IVF treatments for municipal employees “regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation,” although it does not cover expenses related to egg or sperm donation or surrogacy, as stated by Politico.

“The Adams administration proudly supports the rights of LGBTQ+ New Yorkers to access the health care they need,” mentioned spokesperson Liz Garcia in a statement.