Minnesota’s Health Insurance Reform: IVF, Abortion & Wigs Coverage
TL/DR –
The Minnesota Legislature has approved new coverage requirements for health insurance plans, including coverage for abortions, gender-affirming care, prosthetics, and wigs for cancer patients. The coverage requirements will take effect from January 1, and they aim to reduce out-of-pocket costs for care. While a mandate for insurance coverage for infertility treatment was proposed, it did not pass this session due to budget constraints.
New Health Insurance Mandates Approved by Minnesota Legislature
The Minnesota Legislature has passed new coverage requirements for health insurance plans, effective from January 1, aiming to reduce out-of-pocket care costs. The new mandates for health plans include coverage for abortions, gender-affirming care, prosthetics, and wigs for cancer patients.
Extended Coverage for Wigs
Previously, Minnesota law only required insurers to cover wigs for people with alopecia. However, Kari Dziedzic, a former DFL Senate Majority Leader and cancer patient, introduced legislation extending coverage to anyone experiencing hair loss due to a health condition. Wigs, which can range from a few hundred dollars to $5,000, were often unaffordable for many patients. Advocates argue that the provision of wigs helps patients maintain a sense of self during treatments that alter their appearance.
Abortion Coverage
The newly approved statute also mandates that abortions, pre-screenings, and follow-up services must be covered without enrollee cost-sharing greater than that of similar services. The law restricts any coverage limitations, such as referral requirements, restrictions, or delays. However, religious organizations are exempt from providing this coverage, provided they notify prospective and current employees.
Gender-affirming Care for Transgender People
The Minnesota Legislature also codified insurance coverage for gender-affirming care for transgender people, given that a doctor deems the treatment medically necessary. The law defines gender-affirming care as all medical, surgical, counseling, or referral services, including telehealth services, to support and affirm an individual’s gender identity or expression.
Coverage for Orthotics and Prosthetics
Insurers are now required to offer coverage for orthotic and prosthetic devices, supplies, and services, following federal law provisions. Furthermore, over 28,000 Minnesotans live with limb loss, and without health plan coverage, families may face out-of-pocket costs ranging from $5,000 to $50,000.
Attempts to Cover Infertility Treatment
Despite efforts by families struggling with infertility, a mandate for insurance coverage for treatments like in-vitro fertilization did not pass. House Speaker Melissa Hortman stated that a statewide mandate would be costly and was not feasible during a non-budget-writing year. Families like that of Miraya Gran from Bloomington, who spent tens of thousands of dollars and took out a second mortgage for IVF treatment, are hopeful that the legislature will reconsider the proposal in the future. Twenty-one other states and Washington, D.C., have passed laws requiring such coverage.
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