Massachusetts HD 2277: An Act relative to preserving fertility

Bill Text

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2277 FILED ON: 2/17/2021
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1116

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Kevin G. Honan
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to preserving fertility.
_______________
PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS: DATE ADDED:
Kevin G. Honan 17th Suffolk 2/17/2021
Danielle W. Gregoire 4th Middlesex 2/25/2021
Kay Khan 11th Middlesex 2/25/2021
William C. Galvin 6th Norfolk 2/25/2021
Kate Lipper-Garabedian 32nd Middlesex 2/26/2021
Tommy Vitolo 15th Norfolk 3/18/2021
Steven Ultrino 33rd Middlesex 3/18/2021
Christine P. Barber 34th Middlesex 3/18/2021
Ruth B. Balser 12th Middlesex 4/19/2021
Richard M. Haggerty 30th Middlesex 7/7/2021
Lindsay N. Sabadosa 1st Hampshire 7/7/2021
Natalie M. Higgins 4th Worcester 7/27/2021
Brian W. Murray 10th Worcester 9/10/2021
Steven G. Xiarhos 5th Barnstable 10/21/2021

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2277 FILED ON: 2/17/2021
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1116
By Mr. Honan of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1116) of Kevin G. Honan
and others relative to insurance coverage for pregnancy-related procedures and standard fertility
preservation services. Financial Services.

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1004 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)
_______________

An Act relative to preserving fertility.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:

1 SECTION 1. Chapter 32A is hereby amended by inserting after section 17Q, inserted by
2 section 24 of chapter 208 of the acts of 2018 the following section:-
3 Section 17R. (a) Any coverage offered by the commission to an active or retired
4 employee of the commonwealth insured under the group insurance commission shall provide, to
5 the same extent that benefits are provided for other pregnancy-related procedures, coverage for
6 standard fertility preservation services (b) when the enrollee has a diagnosed medical or genetic
7 condition that may directly or indirectly cause (c) impairment of fertility by affecting
8 reproductive organs or processes. Said coverage will include the coverage for procurement,
9 cryopreservation, and storage of gametes, embryos or other reproductive tissue.

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10 (b) For the purposes of this section, “standard fertility preservation services” means
11 procedures or treatment to preserve fertility as recommended by a board-certified obstetrician
12 gynecologist, reproductive endocrinologist, or other physician, and this recommendation is made
13 in accordance with current medical practices and professional guidelines published by the
14 American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or
15 other reputable professional organizations.
16 (c) For the purposes of this section, “may directly or indirectly cause” means that the
17 disease itself, or the necessary treatment, has a likely side effect of infertility as established by
18 the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or
19 other reputable professional organizations.
20 SECTION 2. Chapter 175 is hereby amended by inserting after section 47KK, inserted by
21 section 81 of chapter 208 of the acts of 2018 the following section:-
22 Section 47LL. (a) Any policy of accident and sickness insurance as described in section
23 108 that provides hospital expense and surgical expense insurance and that is delivered, issued or
24 subsequently renewed by agreement between the insurer and policyholder in the commonwealth;
25 any blanket or general policy of insurance described in subdivision (A), (C) or (D) of section 110
26 that provides hospital expense and surgical expense insurance and that is delivered, issued or
27 subsequently renewed by agreement between the insurer and the policyholder, within or without
28 the commonwealth; or any employees’ health and welfare fund that provides hospital expense
29 and surgical expense benefits and that is delivered, issued or renewed to any person or group of
30 persons in the commonwealth, shall provide to a commonwealth resident covered by the policy,
31 to the same extent that benefits are provided for other pregnancy-related procedures, coverage

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32 for standard fertility preservation services (b) when the enrollee has a diagnosed medical or
33 genetic condition that may directly or indirectly cause (c) impairment of fertility by affecting
34 reproductive organs or processes. Said coverage will include the coverage for procurement,
35 cryopreservation, and storage of gametes, embryos or other reproductive t