IVF coverage in Colorado for single and LGBTQ+ patients
Colorado's law uses an inclusive definition of infertility: you qualify based on a physician's finding or on being unable to conceive without medical intervention, with no requirement for a period of unprotected heterosexual intercourse. Plans in scope of the law cannot make single or same-sex-partnered patients pay out of pocket for the diagnostic phase that heterosexual couples get covered.
What to ask
- "How does the plan define infertility, and does it apply to me?"
- "Is donor sperm or donor egg purchase covered?" (Most state laws exclude the purchase; some carve-outs cover it.)
- "Are IUI cycles required before IVF, and do self-paid IUIs count?"
Where people get surprised
- Small-group (100 or fewer employees) and individual/Connect for Health Colorado plans are NOT covered — coverage there awaits a federal HHS no-defrayal determination with no timeline.
- Self-funded employer plans are exempt under ERISA.
- Religious employers may request an exclusion if coverage conflicts with bona fide religious beliefs.
- Health First Colorado (Medicaid) and CHP+ do not cover IVF.
- PGT, embryo storage and donor gamete costs are not specified in the statute — confirm with the plan.
What may change
- HB 24-1025 — Would have extended the fertility coverage mandate to individual and small-group plans; prompted the DOI's 2025 Milliman defrayal analysis. Status: Introduced 2024, did not pass; no enacted 2025/2026 successor confirmed.