Louisiana program
Coverage for fertility preservation before treatment
Louisiana requires certain health plans to cover standard fertility preservation when cancer treatment could cause infertility.
What it is
Louisiana requires certain health plans to cover standard fertility preservation when cancer treatment could cause infertility.
Some cancer 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. Insured Louisiana plans have covered preservation since January 2024; a plan where the employer pays its own claims is outside the law, so ask HR what it covers.
Eligibility rules
- The mandate took effect January 1, 2024. It requires a cancer diagnosis with necessary treatment that may cause infertility.
- Covered plans include the Office of Group Benefits. Self-funded employer plans, specified short-term and limited-benefit plans are excluded. A religious employer may be exempt.
- The statute names no minimum age. Your oncology team assesses whether preservation is relevant to the treatment and clinically possible.
What you get
- Standard egg or sperm preservation when covered cancer treatment threatens fertility.
- Storage coverage for at least three years before the plan may exclude it.
- No advance permission requirement for standard preservation under the state law.
What the help covers
- Services must follow the professional guidelines referenced by the law. Reasonable limits may apply.
If you decide to apply
- Ask the oncology team whether preservation is relevant to the proposed treatment.
- If the team recommends it, ask the social worker to help confirm the specialist and insurance coverage.
- Have the treatment plan and insurance handbook ready for the coverage conversation.
The plan
After you apply
- A referral and written coverage answer can explain the procedure, storage period and family costs. Clinical timing depends on the treatment plan.
Good to know
Ordinary deductibles, copays and coinsurance can still apply. The oncology team leads the timing of this decision.
Other details
- A younger age in this screen does not establish that fertility questions are irrelevant. The care team assesses that separately.
Official sources
“Is fertility preservation relevant for my child’s treatment? Could you explain the benefits, risks and insurance costs and help with a referral if appropriate?”
Why I’m asking: I want to understand any treatment-related fertility choices while the clinical team can still discuss them.
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 plan to confirm coverage in writing, and ask about storage after three years.
Your social worker
The oncology team decides whether preservation is possible before treatment starts.
The care team
The oncologist raises the question at the right clinical moment and makes the referral.
- Who decides
- The plan, but it cannot require permission first.
- Ask the care team
- “Is fertility preservation something we should be thinking about before this phase of treatment, and can you make the referral?”
How to apply
First step: Ask the oncology team whether preservation is relevant for your child before this phase of treatment.
- Wait for the oncology team to raise it, or ask them whether it is relevant for your child.
- Ask the plan in writing to confirm coverage, and that no preauthorization is required.
- Ask what happens to storage costs after three years.
Where it starts: The oncology team refers; ask the plan to confirm coverage in writing, and remind it that preauthorization is not permitted.
What to gather
- The treatment plan
- The plan document or member handbook
How long: It has to happen before the treatment that risks fertility, so timing is clinical.
What a yes looks like
A referral and written confirmation that the plan covers the preservation and the storage.
What a no looks like, and the next move
If the plan demands permission first, say the statute forbids preauthorization. If it is self-funded, ask the employer whether it follows the mandate anyway.
Watch out
- Storage is covered, but a plan is allowed to stop paying for it after three years.
- Self-funded employer plans are outside the mandate, and a religious employer can be exempted.
- The oncology team leads this conversation, at the point where it matters clinically.
If they say no, quote this: R.S. 22:1036.1, effective January 1, 2024: a health coverage plan shall provide coverage for standard fertility preservation services and shall not require preauthorization for them.
The numbers and the rules
The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.
What it is worth
Standard egg or sperm preservation covered, with no preauthorization allowed, and storage covered for at least three years.
- $3 — Years of storage a plan must cover before it is allowed to exclude it
Covers: Egg and sperm preservation consistent with published professional guidelines · Storage of eggs and sperm, which a plan may stop covering after three years
Legal protection: Preauthorization cannot be required for standard fertility preservation
What it costs the family: Ordinary deductibles, copays and coinsurance can still apply, and reasonable limits are allowed.
The eligibility facts, as published
- Medical
- a cancer diagnosis where necessary treatment may directly or indirectly cause infertility
- Plans
- Louisiana health coverage plans including the Office of Group Benefits; excepted, limited-benefit and specified short-term plans are out, and a religious employer may be exempted
- Effective
- 2024-01-01
- Age
- the statute names no age; this site raises it from age 12
- Statute refs
- R.S. 22:1036.1
The trap: Storage is covered, but a plan is allowed to stop paying for it after three years. Ask what happens in year four before you commit.
Where I read this
- Louisiana Revised Statutes 22:1036.1 (fertility preservation) — Louisiana Legislature, read September 10, 2026