Ohio’s Medicaid gap leaves low-income women in fertility crisis: Anna Turner

When a young mother in an Ohio city finds out that she would need fertility medication to conceive, she will also soon find out that her Ohio Medicaid coverage will not pay for it. Treatment to help a woman start her family is simply not covered , even if it’s medically necessary. Across Ohio, thousands of low-income women face this reality. While Ohio’s Medicaid program covers from prenatal care to childbirth, it excludes drugs for the treatment of infertility.

This policy creates a major health care gap and deepens existing inequalities.

The Ohio Administrative Code is clear: “no payment is made for … infertility treatment, even if … prescribed in accordance with the Administrative Code.” This means that, while private insurance plans in Ohio are required to cover basic infertili