Media circus subsides. I n a decision hailed as a major legal victory for infertile couples, a Federal agency has ruled that a national publishing company violated disabilities laws by refusing to pay for an employee's infertility treatments. A bold decision to sue her employer could turn the tide for Ms. Saks and others like her. She is among a small but growing band of plaintiffs who have filed class action complaints with the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, charging that denying medical coverage for infertility treatments is unlawful discrimination. Reproduction is such an activity, Kennedy said.
Insurance carriers are mostly like poltergeists haunting the field of reproductive medicine.
They materialize with ephemeral policies that are changed or are withdrawn in a flash. The New York State Task Force on Life and the Law is urging sweeping changes in the regulation of new fertility technologies, including more steps to reduce the incidence of multiple births. A growing number of couples are facing severe financial crises as scientists develop new treatments to combat physical problems that prevent pregnancy. Aetna Inc., one of the nation's biggest health insurers, says its U.S. Healthcare plans to eliminate coverage for advanced fertility treatments, including in vitro fertilization.