Fertility treatments can seem like a miracle for couples that haven’t been able to conceive a child on their own. But such scientific miracles come at a price, and that cost often isn’t fully covered — if at all — by most health insurance providers. Couples who are struggling to make up the difference have some important folks on their side: Rep. John Lewis (Ga.), who just introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would provide eligible taxpayers a tax credit for the out-of-pocket expenses associated with fertility treatments.
The bill is co-sponsored by Rosa DeLauro (CT), William Keating (MA) and Richard Neal (MA) and is called Family Act of 2011. The tax credit would apply to expenses related to in vitro fertilization and treatments to preserve fertility for cancer patients.
The tax credit is modeled after an existing tax credit available to taxpayers who incur adoption expenses. It mirrors the Family Act, S 965, introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) in May.
This is an exciting development for families who could use the tax credit to help them leap over that last hurdle standing in the way of their dreams of growing their family.