In the near future, we plan to introduce legislation that would require insurance coverage in Pennsylvania for standard fertility preservation services for cancer patients who must undergo medically necessary treatment that results in infertility.

More than 89,000 Pennsylvanians are diagnosed with cancer each year - nearly 4,000 of whom are young adults. Thankfully, survival rates are on the rise, yet the lifesaving treatments required, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, carry a high likelihood of permanent infertility.

For patients of reproductive age, fertility preservation may be medically recommended prior to treatment. However, these services can be prohibitively expensive and are inconsistently covered by insurers, leaving many with a nearly impossible choice between the treatment they need to survive and preserving their ability to have children.

That is why we will introduce legislation to give more patients access to the option of fertility preservation before treatment begins. Already, 21 states, including Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Oklahoma, have taken this important step to expand insurance coverage for oncofertility benefits.

Fertility preservation offers hope to individuals who wish to build a family in the future, and it is especially life-changing for those who have just received a cancer diagnosis. Both men and women may experience infertility as a result of treatment, but surviving cancer should not mean losing the opportunity to start or grow a family.

We respectfully ask you to join in co-sponsoring this legislation to expand access to fertility preservation services to cancer patients in Pennsylvania.