Today's Law As Amended


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SB-729 Health care coverage: treatment for infertility and fertility services.(2023-2024)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.

 Section 1374.55 of the Health and Safety Code is repealed.

1374.55.
 (a)  On and after January 1, 1990, every health care service plan contract that is issued, amended, or renewed that covers hospital, medical, or surgical expenses on a group basis, where the plan is not a health maintenance organization as defined in Section 1373.10, shall offer coverage for the treatment of infertility, except in vitro fertilization, under those terms and conditions as may be agreed upon between the group subscriber and the plan. Every plan shall communicate the availability of that coverage to all group contractholders and to all prospective group contractholders with whom they are negotiating.
(b)  For purposes of this section, “infertility” means either (1) the presence of a demonstrated condition recognized by a licensed physician and surgeon as a cause of infertility, or (2) the inability to conceive a pregnancy or to carry a pregnancy to a live birth after a year or more of regular sexual relations without contraception. “Treatment for infertility” means procedures consistent with established medical practices in the treatment of infertility by licensed physicians and surgeons including, but not limited to, diagnosis, diagnostic tests, medication, surgery, and gamete intrafallopian transfer. “In vitro fertilization” means the laboratory medical procedures involving the actual in vitro fertilization process.
(c)  On and after January 1, 1990, every health care service plan that is a health maintenance organization, as defined in Section 1373.10, and that issues, renews, or amends a health care service plan contract that provides group coverage for hospital, medical, or surgical expenses shall offer the coverage specified in subdivision (a), according to the terms and conditions that may be agreed upon between the group subscriber and the plan to group contractholders with at least 20 employees to whom the plan is offered. The plan shall communicate the availability of the coverage to those group contractholders and prospective group contractholders with whom the plan is negotiating.
(d)  This section shall not be construed to deny or restrict in any way any existing right or benefit to coverage and treatment of infertility under an existing law, plan, or policy.
(e)  This section shall not be construed to require any employer that is a religious organization to offer coverage for forms of treatment of infertility in a manner inconsistent with the religious organization’s religious and ethical principles.
(f)  (1) This section shall not be construed to require any plan, which is a subsidiary of an entity whose owner or corporate member is a religious organization, to offer coverage for treatment of infertility in a manner inconsistent with that religious organization’s religious and ethical principles.
(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “subsidiary” of a specified corporation means a corporation more than 45 percent of the voting power of which is owned directly, or indirectly through one or more subsidiaries, by the specified corporation.
(g) Consistent with Section 1365.5, coverage for the treatment of infertility shall be offered and, if purchased, provided without discrimination on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, domestic partner status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to interfere with the clinical judgment of a physician and surgeon.

SEC. 2.

 Section 1374.55 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

1374.55.
 (a) (1) A large group health care service plan contract, except a specialized health care service plan contract, that is issued, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2025, shall provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services, including a maximum of three completed oocyte retrievals with unlimited embryo transfers in accordance with the guidelines of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), using single embryo transfer when recommended and medically appropriate.
(2) A small group health care service plan contract, except a specialized health care service plan contract, that is issued, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2025, shall offer coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services. This paragraph shall not be construed to require a small group health care service plan contract to provide coverage for infertility services.
(3) A health care service plan shall include notice of the coverage specified in this section in the plan’s evidence of coverage.
(b) For purposes of this section, “infertility” means a condition or status characterized by any of the following:
(1) A licensed physician’s findings, based on a patient’s medical, sexual, and reproductive history, age, physical findings, diagnostic testing, or any combination of those factors. This definition shall not prevent testing and diagnosis of infertility before the 12-month or 6-month period to establish infertility in paragraph (3).
(2) A person’s inability to reproduce either as an individual or with their partner without medical intervention.
(3) The failure to establish a pregnancy or to carry a pregnancy to live birth after regular, unprotected sexual intercourse. For purposes of this section, “regular, unprotected sexual intercourse” means no more than 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse for a person under 35 years of age or no more than 6 months of unprotected sexual intercourse for a person 35 years of age or older. Pregnancy resulting in miscarriage does not restart the 12-month or 6-month time period to qualify as having infertility.
(c) The contract may not include any of the following:
(1) Any exclusion, limitation, or other restriction on coverage of fertility medications that are different from those imposed on other prescription medications.
(2) Any exclusion or denial of coverage of any fertility services based on a covered individual’s participation in fertility services provided by or to a third party. For purposes of this section, “third party” includes an oocyte, sperm, or embryo donor, gestational carrier, or surrogate that enables an intended recipient to become a parent.
(3) Any deductible, copayment, coinsurance, benefit maximum, waiting period, or any other limitation on coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, except as provided in subdivision (a) that are different from those imposed upon benefits for services not related to infertility.
(d) This section does not in any way deny or restrict any existing right or benefit to coverage and treatment of infertility or fertility services under an existing law, plan, or policy.
(e) Consistent with Section 1365.5, coverage for the treatment of infertility and fertility services shall be provided without discrimination on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, domestic partner status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. This subdivision shall not be construed to interfere with the clinical judgment of a physician and surgeon.
(f) This section does not apply to Medi-Cal managed care health care service plan contracts or any entity that enters into a contract with the State Department of Health Care Services for the delivery of health care services pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000), Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 14200), Chapter 8.75 (commencing with Section 14591), or Chapter 8.9 (commencing with Section 14700) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(g) This section shall not apply to a religious employer, as defined in Section 1367.25.
(h) This section shall not apply to a health care benefit plan or contract entered into with the Board of Administration of the Public Employees’ Retirement System pursuant to the Public Employees’ Medical and Hospital Care Act (Part 5 (commencing with Section 22750) of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code) until July 1, 2027.

SEC. 3.

 Section 10119.6 of the Insurance Code is repealed.

10119.6.
 (a) On and after January 1, 1990, every insurer issuing, renewing, or amending a policy of disability insurance that covers hospital, medical, or surgical expenses on a group basis shall offer coverage of infertility treatment, except in vitro fertilization, under those terms and conditions as may be agreed upon between the group policyholder and the insurer. Every insurer shall communicate the availability of that coverage to all group policyholders and to all prospective group policyholders with whom they are negotiating.
(b) For purposes of this section, “infertility” means either (1) the presence of a demonstrated condition recognized by a licensed physician and surgeon as a cause of infertility, or (2) the inability to conceive a pregnancy or to carry a pregnancy to a live birth after a year or more of regular sexual relations without contraception. “Treatment for infertility” means procedures consistent with established medical practices in the treatment of infertility by licensed physicians and surgeons, including, but not limited to, diagnosis, diagnostic tests, medication, surgery, and gamete intrafallopian transfer. “In vitro fertilization” means the laboratory medical procedures involving the actual in vitro fertilization process.
(c) This section shall not be construed to deny or restrict in any way any existing right or benefit to coverage and treatment of infertility under an existing law, plan, or policy.
(d) This section shall not be construed to require any employer that is a religious organization to offer coverage for forms of treatment of infertility in a manner inconsistent with the religious organization’s religious and ethical principles.
(e) (1) This section shall not be construed to require any insurer, which is a subsidiary of an entity whose owner or corporate member is a religious organization, to offer coverage for treatment of infertility in a manner inconsistent with that religious organization’s religious and ethical principles.
(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “subsidiary” of a specified corporation means a corporation more than 45 percent of the voting power of which is owned directly, or indirectly through one or more subsidiaries, by the specified corporation.
(f) This section applies to every disability insurance policy that is issued, amended, or renewed to residents of this state regardless of the situs of the contract.
(g) Consistent with Section 10140, coverage for the treatment of infertility shall be offered and, if purchased, provided without discrimination on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, domestic partner status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to interfere with the clinical judgment of a physician and surgeon.

SEC. 4.

 Section 10119.6 is added to the Insurance Code, to read:

10119.6.
 (a) (1) A large group disability insurance policy, except a specialized disability insurance policy, that is issued, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2025, shall provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services, including a maximum of three completed oocyte retrievals with unlimited embryo transfers in accordance with the guidelines of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), using single embryo transfer when recommended and medically appropriate.
(2) A small group disability insurance policy, except a disability insurance policy described in paragraph (4), that is issued, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2025, shall offer coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services. This paragraph shall not be construed to require a small group disability insurance policy to provide coverage for infertility services.
(3) A disability insurer shall include notice of the coverage specified in this section in the insurer’s evidence of coverage.
(4) This section shall not apply to accident-only, specified disease, hospital indemnity, Medicare supplement, or specialized disability insurance policies.
(b) For purposes of this section, “infertility” means a condition or status characterized by any of the following:
(1) A licensed physician’s findings, based on a patient’s medical, sexual, and reproductive history, age, physical findings, diagnostic testing, or any combination of those factors. This definition shall not prevent testing and diagnosis before the 12-month or 6-month period to establish infertility in paragraph (3).
(2) A person’s inability to reproduce either as an individual or with their partner without medical intervention.
(3) The failure to establish a pregnancy or to carry a pregnancy to live birth after regular, unprotected sexual intercourse. For purposes of this section “regular, unprotected sexual intercourse” means no more than 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse for a person under 35 years of age or no more than 6 months of unprotected sexual intercourse for a person 35 years of age or older. Pregnancy resulting in miscarriage does not restart the 12-month or 6-month time period to qualify as having infertility.
(c) The policy may not include any of the following:
(1) Any exclusion, limitation, or other restriction on coverage of fertility medications that are different from those imposed on other prescription medications.
(2) Any exclusion or denial of coverage of any fertility services based on a covered individual’s participation in fertility services provided by or to a third party. For purposes of this section, “third party” includes an oocyte, sperm, or embryo donor, gestational carrier, or surrogate that enables an intended recipient to become a parent.
(3) Any deductible, copayment, coinsurance, benefit maximum, waiting period, or any other limitation on coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, except as provided in subdivision (a) that are different from those imposed upon benefits for services not related to infertility.
(d) This section does not in any way deny or restrict any existing right or benefit to coverage and treatment of infertility or fertility services under an existing law, plan, or policy.
(e) This section applies to every disability insurance policy that is issued, amended, or renewed to residents of this state regardless of the situs of the contract.
(f) Consistent with Section 10140, coverage for the treatment of infertility and fertility services shall be provided without discrimination on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, domestic partner status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. This subdivision shall not be construed to interfere with the clinical judgment of a physician and surgeon.
(g) This section shall not apply to a religious employer, as defined in Section 10123.196.
(h) This section shall not apply to a health care benefit plan or policy entered into with the Board of Administration of the Public Employees’ Retirement System pursuant to the Public Employees’ Medical and Hospital Care Act (Part 5 (commencing with Section 22750) of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code) until July 1, 2027.
SEC. 5.
 No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.