Infertility treatments, like in vitro fertilization, have long been considered elective procedures largely not covered by health insurance. But that's changing.
More employers are adding the benefit, and some insurance companies are expanding coverage, but not everyone.
Ohio State University is cutting its infertility benefits. WOSU takes a look at how OSUs infertility plan stacks up to others in the region.
Theresia Weston, of Columbus, wanted to be a mom. But like one in ten women, she could not get pregnant.
"After trying medications and other treatments, she turned to in vitro fertilization. I never thought it would be hard to get pregnant," Weston said. "It never crossed my mind that when we decided to have a baby it would be difficult."
Her husband's health insurance plan covered half the $10,000 cost of the IVF. When women seek treatment the cost is largely out of pocket. And medical experts report it can take several rounds of IVF treatment before pregnancy.
But the president of The National Infertility Association Barbara Collura said more employers have begun to offer and increase existing infertility benefits.
"We're seeing a lot more people advocating for coverage within their companies," Collura said. "Going to their [human resources] departments, going to their bosses...[saying] the fact that this isn't covered by insurance is a huge obstacle to my ability to be a parent. And I believe this should be covered by insurance."
Ohio State University has long offered infertility benefits. In fact, its plan served as a model for the University of Michigan's package which will be offered in 2015.
But Ohio State will reduce its plan next year. The lifetime maximum coverage for infertility treatments will be cut by 40 percent down to $15,000. The deductible will more than double. And patients now have to pay half the cost of the treatment instead of a third.
Ohio State declined an interview, but it issued a statement saying "the infertility benefit we provide still exceeds what many employers offer. And because many other employers don't cover infertility treatment, there is potential for adverse selection against [Ohio State's] plan."
OSU has seen its infertility treatment costs increase. They've risen 75 percent in five years. Collura suggests if the benefit has become too costly, the employer should try to re-work it.
"Sit down with your insurer and look at ways to design the benefit," she said. "Because I can assure you there are national insurers out there who've been very savvy and smart about how they're designing their IVF benefits."
That flexibility can also be a burden because Collura said there's no industry standard for infertility coverage.
"When you look at the state mandates, they are all over the place... So there is a lot of inconsistency across the board."
Fifteen states mandate some kind infertility coverage. The state of Ohio requires coverage only for procedures to diagnose infertility and correct some conditions. It does not mandate coverage for IVF and other treatments.
Kent State, Ohio University and Bowling Green State University do not cover infertility treatments. The University of Akron does, offering more coverage than Ohio State's.
Marsha Manning manages the University of Michigan's medical benefits. She said UM expanded its coverage to offer IVF treatments within its network. Patients pick up 20 percent of the cost.
"There are many individuals who are extremely happy that we are going to be adding these benefits," Manning said. "And there's other members who continue to have concerns about the way we've structured the benefits."
Around the Big Ten, plans vary widely. Penn State University has a lifetime maximum of just $2,500. Purdue only covers infertility diagnosis. Some of the most generous infertility packages in the Big Ten belong to the University of Maryland and Northwestern, but their states require coverage.
Theresia Weston and her husband wanted more children, but they could not afford the treatments. Weston said she would like to see insurance companies provide more coverage.
"I just think it should be available for people to have a choice. Do you want to have a family? If you can't do it the natural way then it should be a choice," Weston said. "There are other options. And we can finance everything else in health care. Why can't we finance having a family?"
The CDC reports one percent of babies born in the U.S. are conceived using infertility treatments.