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Oncofertility has been an overlooked standard of care—now states are taking action
Recently, a wave of new private insurance mandates have swept the nation making fertility preservation a covered benefit for people with cancer in 21 states plus Washington, DC.
Mia Sandino, an osteosarcoma survivor, chose not to undergo fertility preservation when she was diagnosed at 19. She didn’t know if she wanted kids, had no guarantee that her insurance would cover the extraordinary costs, and feared postponing treatment would delay her return to "normal life."
This episode is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
On this week’s episode of The Cancer Letter Podcast, Sara Willa Ernst, a reporter with The Cancer Letter, spoke with Claire Marie Porter, reporter, on the nuances of insurance coverage for oncofertility around the country, and the barriers that persist, especially for young people with cancer.
“This is a certain kind of existentialism that a lot of young people are faced with. Add on top of that, a cancer diagnosis,” Sara said on the podcast. “It’s really an unfair position that a lot of young people are put into, especially when it’s not covered by insurance—it’s not a question of ‘Do I want to freeze my eggs or not?’ It's more of a question of ‘Do I even have the choice to?’”
The American Society for Clinical Oncology first created a standard-of-care guideline for fertility preservation for cancer patients in 2006, deeming it a medical necessity.
“But the reality is that in the U.S., most people just don't have benefits that cover this, and it's extremely cost prohibitive,” Claire said.
As the oncofertility conversation becomes normalized, the coverage gaps for cancer patients become more glaring—augmenting the already existing burden of financial toxicity many patients carry.
Other stories mentioned in this podcast include:
Oncofertility coverage mandates expand to 21 states and DC as political momentum builds
Shane Jacobson talks about his to-do list for ACS
Mikkael Sekeres: My introduction to, and lessons learned from, Rick Pazdur
Montefiore Einstein Director Edward Chu dies of glioblastoma at 66
Arnold D. Kaluzny, longtime adviser to the NCI and health services researcher, dies at 87
Meeting the moment: ASCO GI Cancers Symposium delivers insights and collaboration
A transcript of this episode is available: https://cancerletter.com/podcastc/20251126-oncofertility/
View all episodes
By The Cancer LetterRecently, a wave of new private insurance mandates have swept the nation making fertility preservation a covered benefit for people with cancer in 21 states plus Washington, DC.
Mia Sandino, an osteosarcoma survivor, chose not to undergo fertility preservation when she was diagnosed at 19. She didn’t know if she wanted kids, had no guarantee that her insurance would cover the extraordinary costs, and feared postponing treatment would delay her return to "normal life."
This episode is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
On this week’s episode of The Cancer Letter Podcast, Sara Willa Ernst, a reporter with The Cancer Letter, spoke with Claire Marie Porter, reporter, on the nuances of insurance coverage for oncofertility around the country, and the barriers that persist, especially for young people with cancer.
“This is a certain kind of existentialism that a lot of young people are faced with. Add on top of that, a cancer diagnosis,” Sara said on the podcast. “It’s really an unfair position that a lot of young people are put into, especially when it’s not covered by insurance—it’s not a question of ‘Do I want to freeze my eggs or not?’ It's more of a question of ‘Do I even have the choice to?’”
The American Society for Clinical Oncology first created a standard-of-care guideline for fertility preservation for cancer patients in 2006, deeming it a medical necessity.
“But the reality is that in the U.S., most people just don't have benefits that cover this, and it's extremely cost prohibitive,” Claire said.
As the oncofertility conversation becomes normalized, the coverage gaps for cancer patients become more glaring—augmenting the already existing burden of financial toxicity many patients carry.
Other stories mentioned in this podcast include:
Oncofertility coverage mandates expand to 21 states and DC as political momentum builds
Shane Jacobson talks about his to-do list for ACS
Mikkael Sekeres: My introduction to, and lessons learned from, Rick Pazdur
Montefiore Einstein Director Edward Chu dies of glioblastoma at 66
Arnold D. Kaluzny, longtime adviser to the NCI and health services researcher, dies at 87
Meeting the moment: ASCO GI Cancers Symposium delivers insights and collaboration
A transcript of this episode is available: https://cancerletter.com/podcastc/20251126-oncofertility/