Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Grindr CEO George Arison proposed a series of federal and state reforms on Thursday to lower the costs of fertility treatments and surrogacy. The recommendations include making all fertility-related expenses tax-deductible and updating federal insurance rules to facilitate employer-provided benefits for these procedures.
The proposal follows growing public discussion regarding the accessibility of assisted reproductive technology. The authors noted that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) recently detailed her own experiences with the high costs and logistical hurdles of the fertility care system, which the authors say highlights the need for modernized regulations and broader financial support.
The specific federal recommendations call for the Internal Revenue Service to treat in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy as essential medical expenses, allowing for full tax deductions. Additionally, the authors urged the federal government to adopt a medical definition of infertility that considers a person’s complete medical and reproductive history rather than only the duration of unsuccessful conception attempts. At the state level, the proposal encourages the adoption of parentage laws similar to those in Colorado, which allow intended parents to establish legal rights before a child is born.
Individuals would notice concrete changes in their household budgets and insurance coverage. If federal guidance is updated, employees at companies that choose to follow the model described by Arison—whose firm offers up to $300,000 in family formation support—would see a substantial decrease in out-of-pocket costs for medical care, legal fees, and adoption. In states that adopt the recommended parentage laws, families would gain legal certainty regarding their parental rights prior to birth, potentially avoiding the "legal confusion" the authors say currently exists in many jurisdictions.
The policy shift could set a precedent for how the federal government and private employers define and fund family-building. By expanding IVF insurance mandates, as California recently did, these reforms could influence the broader health insurance market and labor negotiations as more companies view fertility benefits as a tool for recruitment and retention. While the authors state these ideas are gaining traction, there is currently no scheduled vote or deadline for federal legislation implementing these tax and insurance changes. Next steps involve potential legislative drafting in Congress or administrative rule-making by federal agencies.