Physicians Support the Family Act

Posted by: Jason S. Griffith, MD at July 16, 2012
Category: The Family Act of 2011

A note from RESOLVE: We are pleased to welcome Dr. Griffith as a guest blogger. Dr. Griffith joined RESOLVE advocates at this year’s Advocacy Day and we asked him to share his experience with the community. The physician voice is critically important in order to get the Family Act passed. We encourage all patients and physicians to read this post and find out how you can add your voice to help pass the Family Act.

As reproductive endocrinologists, we consider several factors prior to making fertility therapy recommendations. These include medical issues: fertility diagnosis, age of the female partner, ovarian reserve, past reproductive history, etc. Couples also bring specific concerns that influence therapy decisions including: desired pace of treatment, level of intervention, and risk tolerance. In many situations, the issue that trumps all these important elements is the cost of the various treatments. I have had countless patients choose less effective therapies that carry greater risk solely on the basis of cost.

The Family Act is a tax credit that would substantially reduce the direct out of pocket costs for patients undergoing specifically in vitro fertilization therapy. This tax credit would apply to patients without insurance coverage for IVF as well as individuals who need fertility preservation therapy related to a medical diagnosis or treatment that would threaten their future reproductive function.

Many reproductive endocrinologists have already supported this bill by sending a letter to his or her Members of Congress urging support for this important piece of legislation. I personally traveled to Washington, D.C. as part of RESOLVE’s 2012 Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill. There is still much work to be done.

Dr. Griffith and staff from Houston Fertility Institute speaks about RESOLVE's Advocacy Day.

I encourage my colleagues, if they have not done so already, to write your U.S. Senators and House members asking them to support the Family Act. I also urge you to call your Members of Congress asking for support. Rallying our patients behind this cause is another vital component to moving this bill forward. Informing our patients of the Family Act and giving them an opportunity to get involved in this effort will add considerable traction to this legislation. RESOLVE has links on their website that streamline the process allowing maximum impact with minimal time expenditure. With a unified voice of the physicians and our patients, we can definitely make a positive impact for expanding access to this very important fertility therapy.

For more information on how to get involved: