State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) advanced a measure to help cancer patients have children – a prospect that can diminish greatly for some patients once treatment begins.

“Cancer patients deserve a chance to have children,” Murphy said. “For some men and women, fertility preservation prior to radiation or surgery is their only way to have biological children.”

House Bill 2617 requires insurers to cover standard fertility preservation services when a necessary medical procedure, such as radiation, chemotherapy and surgery, could cause infertility.

The Affordable Care Act provides infertility coverage but does not include fertility preservation services. Additionally, employers with 25 or more full-time employees who provide pregnancy-related benefits are required to provide coverage for infertility treatment, though some restrictions apply.

This measure attempts to address a patient’s desire to have children before they undergo a medical procedure that could render them infertile.

“I can only imagine the pain that newly diagnosed patients experience when they find out the procedure that could save their life may also prevent them from bringing a new life into the world,” Murphy said.

“Paying for fertility preservation out of pocket is burdensome and simply not possible for many patients. This legislation would remove that barrier.”