Ep. 19 | Will Fertility Coverage Ever Get Mandated?

The state of New York recently passed legislation mandating fertility treatment. Since then, hope has sprung up that nationwide mandating of reproductive medicine may not be too far off. However, resistance to universal coverage, for both heterosexual and same-sex couples, continues to be present both at insurance companies and in state legislatures. 

In this episode, Sean Tipton, chief advocacy, policy, and development officer at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, joins host Mark P. Trolice, M.D., to break down what gains have been made in mandating fertility coverage across the U.S. and the obstacles that remain. He also discusses how traditional attitudes toward reproduction and sexuality in the U.S. have influenced and continue to impact existing fertility legislation.

Tune in to discover:

• Why insurance companies don’t provide coverage for fertility treatment and reproductive medicine
• How current state coverage policies put expecting mothers and babies at risk
• Bureaucratic hurdles in providing infertility coverage for veterans
• Challenges and gains for the LGBTQ community
• The latest state battles on the constitutional front to define embryos as legal persons and how that could affect access to infertility treatment

About Sean Tipton

Sean Tipton is the chief advocacy, policy, and development officer for The American Society for Reproductive Medicine. He began his tenure with ASRM as Government Affairs Manager back in the 20th Century. 

Mr. Tipton formulates and executes media and government affairs programs for ASRM, the country’s leading organization for professionals involved in reproductive health care and infertility. In this role, Mr. Tipton has been involved in nearly every major media and policy event related to assisted reproduction since joining ASRM.  Among these have been the McCaughey septuplets, cloning, embryonic stem cell research, “Personhood” measures the Octomom, FDA regulation of reproductive tissues, health care reform, and many others. He has worked in policy venues ranging from local zoning boards to the United Nations. In 2015 Mr. Tipton assumed responsibility for ASRM’s fund development functions as well.

His work has been recognized with awards from his alma mater, Transylvania University, the American Fertility Association, RESOLVE the national infertility patient advocacy organization, Research!America and the Takoma Foundation.

Mr. Tipton has degrees in Political Science from Transylvania University and The Ohio State University.

About Mark P. Trolice, M.D.

Mark P. Trolice, M.D., FACOG, FACS, FACE is Director of Fertility CARE: The IVF Center in Winter Park, Florida and Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB/GYN) at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in Orlando responsible for the medical education of OB/GYN residents and medical students as well as Medical Endocrinology fellows. He is past President of the Florida Society of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility (REI) and past Division Director of REI at Winnie Palmer Hospital, part of Orlando Health.

He is double board certified in REI and OB/GYN, maintains annual recertification, and has been awarded the American Medical Association’s “Physicians’ Recognition Award” annually. He holds the unique distinction of being a Fellow in all three American Colleges of OB/GYN, of Surgeons, and of Endocrinology. His colleagues select him as Top Doctor in America® annually, one among the top 5% of doctors in the U.S. In 2018, he was awarded the “Social Responsibility Award” by the National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association. For ten years his foundation, Fertile Dreams, organized seminars to increase fertility awareness and granted national scholarship