The New York City Council’s LGBTQIA+ Caucus is urging Mayor Eric Adams to extend in vitro fertilization (IVF) coverage to gay male city employees. Currently, the city health plan only covers IVF cycles for employees who can provide documentation of infertility, defined as the inability to conceive or impregnate.
The Council’s caucus argues this definition is exclusionary, particularly for same-sex couples, and insists that family-building benefits should be inclusive for all employees, regardless of their ability to meet traditional definitions of infertility. This push for change follows a 2020 state law mandating insurance coverage for three IVF cycles for individuals diagnosed with infertility.A class-action lawsuit has been proposed, alleging discrimination against same-sex couples under the current policy. Corey Briskin, a former prosecutor, filed the suit after being informed in 2021 that he and his spouse were not eligible for IVF coverage under the city’s plan. Briskin’s case has catalyzed legislative efforts to address this issue.The City Council’s health committee will soon hold a hearing on a bill that mandates coverage for assisted reproduction services and adoption for municipal employees, without requiring an infertility diagnosis. The bill is sponsored by Council Member Lynn Schulman, chair of the health committee and a member of the LGBTQIA+ Caucus.In response, mayoral spokesperson Liz Garcia stated that the city’s health plan covers IVF treatments for all municipal employees, irrespective of gender identity or sexual orientation, but it does not cover egg or sperm donation or surrogacy costs.This move comes amid broader national debates on IVF, with some conservative groups, such as the Southern Baptist Convention, recently voting to oppose the procedure.
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