NEWSROOM

In late June 2025, the California legislature approved a delay to the new fertility benefit mandate for fully insured group health plans — including coverage for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and other specified services. Originally set to take effect July 1, 2025, under Senate Bill 729 (signed in Fall 2024), the mandate will now apply to fully insured California health plans issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026.
 
Beginning January 1, 2026, fully insured Large Group health plans will be required to cover comprehensive infertility benefits, including the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and IVF, as defined by the state. In addition, Small Group insurers must offer at least one plan that mirrors the Large Group infertility coverage requirements, although small employers are not obligated to select that plan.
 
This mandate applies to fully insured health plans regulated by the California Department of Insurance (CDI) or the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC). It does not apply to self-funded or level-funded plans, which are not subject to state insurance mandates
 
For more details on the legislation, its requirements, and how it applies to health plans, read Paul Roberts’s July 2025 Compliance update.