Singles left out of Hawaii fertility law

Subscribe Now Choose a package that suits your preferences.
Start Free Account Get access to 7 premium stories every month for FREE!
Already a Subscriber? Current print subscriber? Activate your complimentary Digital account.

HONOLULU — Do you want to get fertility treatments in Hawaii? If you’re married, there’s a good chance that the treatments will be covered by insurance.

HONOLULU — Do you want to get fertility treatments in Hawaii? If you’re married, there’s a good chance that the treatments will be covered by insurance.

But if you’re not married, you’re out of luck.

Insurance companies in Hawaii are only required to cover fertility treatment for married women, not for their single counterparts. And treatments must use sperm from the patient’s spouse.

One single woman sought to change that law, saying it discriminates against unmarried women.

But a push in the Legislature to expand coverage for fertility treatments died Thursday.

Hawaii is one of 15 states that have insurance mandates for fertility treatments. And the state is not alone in excluding single women from the benefit. Maryland has a similar law, according to Resolve, an organization that tracks fertility policies.