Recent legislation has created significant obstacles for families in need of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, and the repercussions have rippled across the entirety of the family building benefit landscape.
In February, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law, meaning clinics and providers could have been subject to a potential wrongful death of a minor lawsuit if frozen embryos under their care were damaged or destroyed. As a result, several clinics had opted to halt their IVF treatment plans before the state’s Republican governor signed a subsequent bill into law March 7 that protects IVF patients and providers from legal liability.
