District of Columbia program
Fertility preservation before treatment starts
Some cancer treatments can affect fertility. DC law covers standard preservation through eligible health plans.
What it is
Some cancer treatments can affect fertility. DC law covers standard preservation through eligible health plans.
Some treatments can affect future fertility, and the only window is before the treatment that carries the risk. The oncology team says whether an option fits your child's age. Plans DC regulates have covered standard preservation since January 2025; a federal employee plan or a plan where the employer pays its own claims is outside the law.
Eligibility rules
- A large-group, small-group or individual health benefit plan subject to the District insurance regulator; federal employee plans are excluded.
- Treated under a District-regulated plan.
What you get
- Covered standard fertility preservation under the District law when the requirements are met.
Plan and storage rules
- The District coverage requirement began January 1, 2025. Standard preservation follows professional guidelines, and ordinary plan cost sharing applies.
- Since 2025, DC-regulated plans must cover standard fertility preservation when treatment may cause infertility, with ordinary cost sharing. The law does not fix how many years of storage are covered, so ask the plan in writing.
If you decide to apply
- Ask your oncology team whether preservation fits the treatment and its timing.
- Ask the plan for written coverage, cost-sharing and storage terms for the proposed care.
The plan, under District law · Official page ↗
Good to know
Federal employee health plans are excluded from this District law. Preservation and ongoing storage need separate questions.
Official sources
“Could treatment affect our child’s future fertility, and would preservation fit their care? Could you help us discuss timing, benefits, risks and uncovered costs with the team?”
Why I’m asking: I want to understand whether it fits our child's care, including timing and uncovered costs.
More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules
Who does what
The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.
You
Ask the team, then get the plan's confirmation in writing.
Your social worker
The oncology team says whether it is possible and appropriate.
The care team
The oncologist decides whether preservation fits the treatment plan and the timing.
- Who decides
- The plan, under District law, on the team's plan of care.
- Ask the care team
- “Is fertility preservation something we should be thinking about before this phase of treatment?”
How to apply
First step: Ask the oncology team whether preservation is on the table for your child, and when.
- Ask the oncology team whether preservation is on the table for your child.
- If it is, ask the plan in writing to confirm coverage and to say what storage is covered.
Official application / program page ↗
Where it starts: Ask the oncology team whether preservation is possible and appropriate, then ask the plan to confirm coverage in writing.
What to gather
The diagnosis letter, the child’s insurance card, and the last two pay stubs cover most applications. The official page lists the rest.
How long: It has to happen before the treatment that risks fertility, so the timing is the team's call.
What a yes looks like
The plan confirms coverage and the team arranges it before the next phase.
What a no looks like, and the next move
Ask whether the plan is DC-regulated, then appeal and ask the District for an outside review.
Watch out
- How long storage is covered was not published. Ask before assuming it is included.
- Federal employee plans are excluded from this law.
If they say no, quote this: D.C. Code § 31-3834.06: standard fertility preservation for a person "expected to undergo ... chemotherapy, or other medical treatment that is recognized by medical professionals to cause a risk of impairment to fertility".
The numbers and the rules
The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.
What it is worth
Standard fertility preservation covered before treatment that risks fertility, since January 1, 2025.
- $2,025 — Date large-group coverage began
Covers: Standard fertility preservation consistent with professional guidelines
Legal protection: The rule reaches someone expected to undergo treatment recognised as risking fertility, not only someone already infertile
What it costs the family: Cost sharing follows the plan. Storage duration and amount were not published.
The eligibility facts, as published
- Other
- A large-group, small-group or individual health benefit plan subject to the District insurance regulator; federal employee plans are excluded
- Residency
- Treated under a District-regulated plan
The trap: The law covers the preservation. How long storage is covered, and for how much, was not published, so ask before you assume storage is included.
Where I read this
- D.C. Code § 31-3834.06 — Infertility diagnosis, treatment and fertility preservation — Council of the District of Columbia, read September 10, 2026
- D.C. Code § 31-3831 — Cancer and infertility coverage definitions — Council of the District of Columbia, read September 10, 2026