Does Washington University in St. Louis cover IVF?
What Washington University in St. Louis publishes about fertility benefits for its US employees, in its own words, with the page each statement is on.
- Re-checked quarterly · checked Oct 30, 2026
Washington University in St. Louis says it covers fertility treatment for eligible US employees, up to a $30,000 lifetime maximum, plus $15,000 for fertility drugs, but its public pages do not name IVF. Part-time workers can qualify: regular staff working 20 or more hours a week and faculty with at least 20 hours of scheduled effort are eligible, from the date of hire if they enroll within 31 days. The benefit is run by UnitedHealthcare.
What Washington University in St. Louis says it covers
Read on Oct 30, 2026. The words in quotation marks are the source's own.
Fertility treatment is covered; IVF is not named
“Infertility Lifetime benefit: $30,000 for medical and $15,000 for prescription drugs 20% up to lifetime benefit”
All four 2026 WashU health plan options, in network with a WashU physician
$30,000 lifetime, plus $15,000 for drugs
20% coinsurance up to the lifetime benefit: $30,000 for medical care and $15,000 for prescription drugs.
“Infertility Lifetime benefit: $30,000 for medical and $15,000 for prescription drugs 20% up to lifetime benefit”
Run by UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare administers the fertility benefit for Washington University in St. Louis, so it is the one to call about which clinics are in network and what needs approval first.
“All options provide coverage for the same medical services, are administered by UnitedHealthcare and include prescription drug coverage through Express Scripts.”
Can part-time Washington University in St. Louis workers use it?
Eligibility decides whether a benefit is worth taking a job for, so this is the line to confirm before anything else.
Part-time workers can qualify: regular staff working 20 or more hours a week and faculty with at least 20 hours of scheduled effort are eligible, from the date of hire if they enroll within 31 days.
You have to be enrolled in a Washington University in St. Louis medical plan to use the benefit, so its premiums and deductible are part of what the coverage costs you.
“A regular staff employee whose standard work schedule is 20 or more hours per week,”
“A regular faculty member of the university with scheduled effort of at least 20 hours per week.”
“Medical benefits coverage for eligible employees who enroll within 31 days of their hire/rehire date will be effective on their date of hire/rehire.”
The limit beside what IVF costs
A benefit limit means little until it sits next to the price of a cycle.
Washington University in St. Louis: stated limit
$30,000 lifetime, plus $15,000 for drugs
US: one cycle all in
$23,000–$30,000
With medications ($3,000–$7,000) and the common add-ons. How it adds up
- All four 2026 WashU health plan options, in network with a WashU physician: $30,000 is enough for about 1 typical cycle at those prices.
These are cash prices. A plan pays its own negotiated rates, and you still owe its deductible and coinsurance, so treat this as a rough guide.
Six things to ask Washington University in St. Louis before you count on it
A public benefits page is a summary. The plan document for your own plan and location is what the plan pays by.
- 1.What is the lifetime maximum, and do fertility drugs count toward it or have their own limit?
- 2.When does coverage start after my hire date, and how many hours a week do I need to keep it?
- 3.Do I need an infertility diagnosis, or prior authorization, before treatment is covered?
- 4.Which fertility clinics near me are in network, and what do I pay if mine is not?
- 5.What are the deductible, the coinsurance and the out-of-pocket maximum on the plan the benefit sits in?
- 6.Are egg freezing, donor eggs or sperm, genetic testing of embryos and embryo storage covered?
State insurance laws reach only fully-insured plans, and 67% of covered US workers are in self-funded employer plans, which set their own fertility benefits whatever the state requires. About 50% of employers with 500 or more workers now cover IVF. A large employer's plan is usually self-funded (80% of covered workers at large firms are in one), so what Washington University in St. Louis chooses to cover matters more than your state's IVF insurance law.
Washington University in St. Louis and IVF: common questions
Does Washington University in St. Louis cover IVF?
Washington University in St. Louis says it covers fertility treatment for eligible US employees, up to a $30,000 lifetime maximum, plus $15,000 for fertility drugs, but its public pages do not name IVF. Part-time workers can qualify: regular staff working 20 or more hours a week and faculty with at least 20 hours of scheduled effort are eligible, from the date of hire if they enroll within 31 days. The benefit is run by UnitedHealthcare. Read on Washington University in St. Louis' own benefit pages on Oct 30, 2026.
How much fertility treatment does Washington University in St. Louis cover?
Washington University in St. Louis states this limit: All four 2026 WashU health plan options, in network with a WashU physician: $30,000 lifetime, plus $15,000 for drugs (20% coinsurance up to the lifetime benefit: $30,000 for medical care and $15,000 for prescription drugs.). For comparison, one IVF cycle in the US typically costs $23,000 to $30,000 all in.
Does Washington University in St. Louis cover IVF for part-time employees?
Part-time workers can qualify: regular staff working 20 or more hours a week and faculty with at least 20 hours of scheduled effort are eligible, from the date of hire if they enroll within 31 days. You have to be enrolled in a Washington University in St. Louis medical plan to use it. Eligibility rules are the first thing to confirm with Washington University in St. Louis before you count on the benefit.
How do I confirm what Washington University in St. Louis covers?
Ask Washington University in St. Louis' benefits center or UnitedHealthcare for the plan document (the summary plan description) for your own plan and location, and check the lifetime maximum, whether fertility drugs count toward it, whether a diagnosis or prior authorization is needed, and when coverage starts after you are hired. Benefits change each plan year, usually on January 1.
- Health Insurance (WashU Human Resources), 2026 Health Plan Options (Washington University in St. Louis' own page, plan year 2026)
- Your 2026 Benefits: Faculty and Staff (WashU_2026PY_Ongoing_Guide_Staff-and-Faculty) (Washington University in St. Louis' own page, plan year 2026)