The CVS Health company Aetna announced a “landmark policy change” on Tuesday, that it would expand its coverage of fertility services to include intrauterine insemination (IUI) as a medical benefit for eligible plans. It is the first major health insurer to do so. “Expanding IUI coverage is yet another demonstration of Aetna’s commitment to women’s health across all communities, including LGBTQ+ and unpartnered people,” Dr.
Cathy Moffitt, Senior Vice President and Aetna Chief Medical Officer of CVS Health, said in a press release. “This industry-leading policy change is a stake in the ground, reflecting Aetna’s support of all who need to use this benefit as a preliminary step in building their family.” IUI, sometimes called artificial insemination, is a procedure that helps with infertility —affecting one in six people worldwide—by boosting the chances of pregnancy .
It works by having a medical provider insert specially prepared sperm directly in the uterus at the time of ovulation in hopes that the sperm and egg will meet up in the fallopian tube, leading to pregnancy. The procedure is most often used, according to the Mayo Clinic , for the following reasons: If someone is using donor sperm As a first-line treatment for unexplained infertility To treat infertility related to endometriosis To help with subfertility (meaning the man’s sperm has size, shape, or motility issues, which can be addressed through the pre-insemination part of IUI) To treat in.