Crowds hold pride flags as they prepare for the Queer March to the Texas State Capitol on April 15, 2023 in Austin, Texas. People from across Texas have gathered to protest a slew of anti-LGBTQIA+ and drag bills proposed by lawmakers.
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A federal judge this week approved a landmark class-action settlement between Aetna and same-sex couples in New York who accused the insurance giant of discriminating against them and other LGBTQ customers seeking fertility treatments.
A subsidiary of Aetna CVS Health, Make an agreement with the couple Artificial insemination services are available to all clients nationwide in October and are working to provide equal access to the expensive in vitro fertilization procedure.
The settlement signed by a judge marks the first time LGBTQ couples previously denied maternity coverage in the United States can apply for reimbursement.
Emma Goidel and her spouse, Ilana Caplan, filed a lawsuit against Aetna in 2021 after the health insurance company denied them multiple offers to cover fertility treatments. ask. The couple, represented by the National Women’s Law Center, said they spent more than $50,000 out of their own pocket to conceive their second child.
“LGBTQ+ people deserve to be parents just as much as anyone else on this planet,” Goidel said. “I hope that when people start signing up for compensation, queer folks who are already on the journey to becoming parents and facing insurance barriers will feel like they’re not alone.”
Aetna declined to comment. Spokesperson for CVS Health Corp. Said before The company is pleased to have resolved the case and is “committed to providing quality care to all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Thirteen states require insurance companies to pay for fertility treatments for same-sex couples who cannot conceive on their own, according to determinationa national infertility association. However, the law exempts companies with self-funded policies, in which the employer pays employee claims directly.
“It can sometimes be really uncomfortable to talk to an employer or human resources department about what benefits are offered, especially when those benefits are related to wanting to start a family,” said Allison Tanner, an attorney at the National Women’s Law Center. “
Similar cases have been filed against other insurance giants, including UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield. The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Aetna settlement.
