Rep. Mike Levin last week introduced legislation aimed at expanding access to fertility treatment, more than a year after Rep. Sara Jacobs unveiled a separate measure to increase IVF access for military families.
Levin’s Fertility Cost Relief Act would exempt early withdrawals from retirement accounts from tax penalties when the funds pay for fertility treatments. Jacobs’ bill, reintroduced in December, would expand IVF access for military families.
The proposals come as lawmakers at both the state and federal levels have moved in recent years to expand access to fertility treatments.
But it’s not clear the efforts, if successful, will fully alleviate the financial burden of IVF.
In 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill expanding fertility insurance coverage in the state. As of January, many health insurance plans in the state are required to cover both the diagnosis and treatment of infertility — including in vitro fertilization.
California is one of 15 states with a state fertility insurance law. But after insurance, families can still owe thousands with deductibles, co-insurance and medication coverage, according to Coastal Fertility Medical Center’s 2026 pricing guide.
Levin’s bill would allow people to withdraw up to $20,000 from their retirement account — without facing the existing 10% tax penalty for withdrawals before the age of 59.5 years.
“Our bipartisan Fertility Cost Relief Act would allow individuals to take money from their retirement accounts to build a family without a financial penalty,” Levin said in a release. “This bill would save families money and give them hope in the face of infertility challenges.”
Yesh Tikva, a reproductive health organization in Southern California, said the bill is an improvement, but it won’t alleviate the financial burden of infertility treatment.
“It needs to be recognized as a disease,” said Gila Block, the executive director of Yesh Tikva. “This isn’t relieving a burden. It is just giving people access to the money that is already theirs without penalizing them for having to take it out early.”
Block said many people have to go through multiple rounds of IVF and all it guarantees is “the opportunity to hope to have a baby.”
Families are generally on their last resort when they turn to IVF, Jacobs said.
“The high cost and lack of health insurance coverage mean families are being pushed to the brink to afford this kind of care out of pocket. They’re taking out loans, going into credit card debt, and putting off important milestones just to access this health care,” Jacobs said to Times of San Diego.
Jacobs’ bill to expand IVF access for military families was initially part of the National Defense Authorization Act, but didn’t make it to the final version. Jacobs and three fellow Congress members introduced the Bipartisan IVF for Military Families Act as a separate piece of legislation after it was stripped from the larger act.
“Civilian employers are increasingly providing IVF coverage to their employees, and it’s even accessible to every member of Congress and their staff, but the military is still lagging behind,” Jacobs said in a December press release. “This is creating an acute readiness and retention crisis because our military families are forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for IVF, forgo having children, or leave the military to get private coverage instead.”
Her bill would require military insurance plans — TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select — to cover fertility-related care.
Dr. Kate Devine, who specializes in reproductive medicine at Shady Grove Fertility, said a federal mandate requiring fertility treatment coverage for military families would represent a significant step forward, but the details of implementation would determine how effective it is.
“If there were to be approval for a federal mandate, for the fertility treatments that military service people need, that would be a huge step forward,” Devine said. “Of course, the devil is always in the details in terms of who is able to access coverage and how difficult it is for them to access it.”
Block said while California has come a long way, it will continue to take state and federal efforts to provide widespread coverage “for families to be built — who so desperately want to be built.”
“Advocacy is what got us as far as we’ve gotten, and it is what will continue to move the needle,” Block said.
Hence then, the article about san diego lawmakers push for federal action on ivf access and the cost of fertility treatments was published today ( ) and is available on Times of San Diego ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( San Diego lawmakers push for federal action on IVF access and the cost of fertility treatments )
Also on site :