Alabama IVF Ruling: What to Know About the Costs of Moving Embryos

“There’s a lot that goes into moving these safely and properly,” said Angeline Beltsos, chief executive physician at Kindbody, which has 35 clinics across the country and provides fertility benefit coverage for employers, including Walmart.

Will my health insurance cover the cost to move my embryos if I can no longer get I.V.F. in my home state?

Maybe. Some coverage could be broad enough to pay for the transport of embryos.

“It is likely that employees working for large employers have some kind of coverage,” said Elizabeth Mitchell, the chief executive officer of Purchaser Business Group on Health, which represents large employers that provide benefits for their workers.

Would fertility coverage pick up my treatment elsewhere?

Maybe, and it’s more likely to happen if you work for a large company. Some employers with workers in Alabama are considering covering the costs of treatment in locations where it’s still possible, along with travel expenses for patients.

Progyny, which provides specialized fertility coverage (including in Alabama) through a network of providers, said it would cover embryo and tissue transport to another in-network clinic if it was no longer possible to conduct I.V.F. at a certain location. And it may cover travel expenses, depending on the options available through an employer. (Some out-of-pocket costs, like coinsurance, may apply.)