Dissecting Obamacare: Insurance for the Fertility Industry

A new era in the world of healthcare and insurance in the United States began in January 2014. There has been much misinformation regarding coverage during the rollout process of Obamacare. Please take into account that this information does not apply to coverage with larger companies, as they are able to tailor their coverage to their employees.

Here are four things that you should know regarding healthcare coverage offered in the exchanges:

1. Maternity coverage is not available if you are a gestational carrier. This includes coverage for well-women visits and costs associated with labor and delivery. A gestational carrier would still need to seek coverage through a private insurance carrier offering catastrophic coverage options.

2. Medical costs incurred due to hyperstimulation as an egg donor are excluded through the healthcare exchanges. Egg donors will need to find coverage with private carriers offering catastrophic coverage.

3. Fertility treatments, including IVF and IUI, are not covered through healthcare exchanges and will have to be paid through alternative methods.

4. International intended parents seeking coverage for their newborns in the United States will be able to acquire coverage through the healthcare exchanges for the duration of their stay in the United States.

It is always important that you seek out a well-versed insurance professional to assist you and your clients as you navigate the new frontier of healthcare coverage in the United States. Obamacare is constantly changing. These are the hard rules to date; there could be more changes to the coverage in the future.

Ashley M Hunter is the president of HM Risk Group
HM Risk Group is a boutique international insurance brokerage specializing in niche insurance products, globally. Ashley has over 15 years of experience in healthcare underwriting.