California governor signs bill making insurance companies pay for IVF treatment

California’s governor signed into law Sunday legislation requiring certain insurance providers to cover costs for infertility treatment and in vitro fertilization, his office announced.

"California is a proud reproductive freedom state – and that includes increasing access to fertility services that help those who want to start a family," Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said in a press release posted to his office’s website. "As Republicans across the country continue to claw back rights and block access to IVF – all while calling themselves 'the party of families' – we are proud to help every Californian make their own choices about the family they want."

According to Newsom's announcement, the law requires large group health care service plan contracts and disability insurance policies to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility service, including IVF.

The bill also requires these companies to cover a maximum of three completed oocyte retrievals, a process where eggs are taken from the ovaries, according to the Emory School of Medicine.

The requirements would be for healthcare service plans issued, adjusted or renewed on or after July 1 next year.

The bill signing comes less than a month after Republicans in the U.S. Senate blocked for a second time The Right to IVF Act, legislation sponsored by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-IL, aimed to protect and expand national access to fertility treatment. 

Reproductive rights key part of 2024 election

Vice President Kamala Harris has made access to reproductive rights a key point of her nascent presidential campaign.

Trump has long supported IVF, but surprised many conservatives this summer on the campaign trail when he promised to require insurance companies or the government to cover costs associated with IVF.

Vance, a senator from Ohio, voted against the Right to IVF Act in June, before he was named the Republican vice presidential nominee. He has also come under repeated fire for his comments about women without children.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and his wife Gwen Walz used fertility treatments to start a family.

What is IVF?

IVF stands for in vitro fertilization. It's a medical procedure that combines eggs and sperm in a lab dish before transferring the fertilized eggs into the uterus, according to Yale Medicine.

In 2022, approximately 2.5% of all U.S. births were the result of IVF pregnancies, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

How much does IVF cost?

The estimated average cost per IVF cycle is about $12,000, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASMR). But gynecologist Karen Tang, M.D., previously told USA TODAY that it can wind up a tab as much as $25,000 or more.

Contributing: Trevor Hughes and Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her atsdmartin@usatoday.com.