Does Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota cover IVF?
What Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) publishes about covering IVF and other fertility treatment, in its own words, with the document each statement is in.
- Documents read · checked 11 h ago
It depends on the plan. BCBSND's 2026 sample certificates for fully insured large group plans cover artificial insemination and assisted reproduction, IVF included, after a $500 lifetime infertility deductible and up to a $20,000 lifetime maximum per member, with precertification. Its 2027 individual and small group plans exclude services related to infertility, assisted conception and fertility drugs included. Every plan excludes donor eggs and sperm, freezing and storage, surrogacy and embryo genetic testing.
What BCBSND's certificates say
Read on Oct 27, 2026. The words in quotation marks are the source's own.
Large group plans: IVF to $20,000 lifetime; individual and small group plans: no
“Benefits are available for services, supplies and drugs related to artificial insemination (AI) and assisted reproductive technology (ART), Including gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF), subject to the Cost Sharing Amounts and Lifetime Maximum listed in the Schedule of Benefits, Section 1.”
“No benefits are available for services listed in this section.”
“22. Services related to infertility, Including Assisted Conception, donor eggs including any donor treatment and retrieval costs, donor sperm, cryopreservation or storage of sperm, embryos or unfertilized eggs, Surrogate pregnancy and delivery, Gestational Carrier pregnancy and delivery, preimplantation genetic diagnosis testing, fertility drugs and other Prescription Medications or Drugs associated with fertility treatment.”
“Sample Fully Insured Group Certificate Of Insurance & Summary Plan Description”
Large group plans: IVF to $20,000
The sample large group certificates cover services, supplies and drugs for artificial insemination and assisted reproduction (GIFT, ZIFT, ICSI or IVF), after a $500 lifetime infertility deductible and up to $20,000 per member for life. That deductible and the infertility coinsurance do not count toward the out-of-pocket maximum.
“Benefits are available for services, supplies and drugs related to artificial insemination (AI) and assisted reproductive technology (ART), Including gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF), subject to the Cost Sharing Amounts and Lifetime Maximum listed in the Schedule of Benefits, Section 1.”
“Benefits are subject to a $500 Lifetime Infertility Services Deductible Amount and a $20,000 Lifetime Maximum per Member.”
“This Coinsurance Amount and the Infertility Services Deductible Amount do not apply toward the Out-of-Pocket Maximum Amount.”
Precertification
Assisted reproduction, IVF included, needs precertification on the large group plans.
“Precertification is required for assisted reproductive technology for GIFT, ZIFT, ICSI and IVF.”
Individual and small group plans: excluded
The 2027 individual and small group documents list services related to infertility as an exclusion, naming assisted conception, donor eggs and sperm, freezing and storage, surrogacy, embryo genetic testing and fertility drugs.
“No benefits are available for services listed in this section.”
“22. Services related to infertility, Including Assisted Conception, donor eggs including any donor treatment and retrieval costs, donor sperm, cryopreservation or storage of sperm, embryos or unfertilized eggs, Surrogate pregnancy and delivery, Gestational Carrier pregnancy and delivery, preimplantation genetic diagnosis testing, fertility drugs and other Prescription Medications or Drugs associated with fertility treatment.”
“22. Services related to infertility, Including Assisted Conception, donor eggs including any donor treatment and retrieval costs, donor sperm, cryopreservation or storage of sperm, embryos or unfertilized eggs, Surrogate pregnancy and delivery, Gestational Carrier pregnancy and delivery, preimplantation genetic diagnosis testing, fertility drugs and other Prescription Medications or Drugs associated with fertility treatment.”
Not covered on any plan
Even the large group plans exclude donor eggs and sperm, freezing or storing sperm, embryos or eggs, surrogacy and gestational carriers, and preimplantation genetic diagnosis.
“4.1 EXCLUSIONS No benefits are available for:”
“21. Donor eggs including any donor treatment and retrieval costs, donor sperm, cryopreservation or storage of sperm, embryos or unfertilized eggs, Surrogate pregnancy and delivery, Gestational Carrier pregnancy and delivery, and preimplantation genetic diagnosis testing.”
BCBSND plans we read
Each plan line's own document, in its own words.
Large group plans (fully insured), 2026
IVF covered, $20,000 lifetimeFour sample certificates carry the same benefit: AI and ART, IVF included, to $20,000 per member for life.
“Benefits are subject to a $500 Lifetime Infertility Services Deductible Amount and a $20,000 Lifetime Maximum per Member.”
Small group plans, 2027
IVF not coveredServices related to infertility, assisted conception included, are excluded.
“22. Services related to infertility, Including Assisted Conception, donor eggs including any donor treatment and retrieval costs, donor sperm, cryopreservation or storage of sperm, embryos or unfertilized eggs, Surrogate pregnancy and delivery, Gestational Carrier pregnancy and delivery, preimplantation genetic diagnosis testing, fertility drugs and other Prescription Medications or Drugs associated with fertility treatment.”
Individual plans, 2027
IVF not coveredServices related to infertility, assisted conception and fertility drugs included, are excluded.
“22. Services related to infertility, Including Assisted Conception, donor eggs including any donor treatment and retrieval costs, donor sperm, cryopreservation or storage of sperm, embryos or unfertilized eggs, Surrogate pregnancy and delivery, Gestational Carrier pregnancy and delivery, preimplantation genetic diagnosis testing, fertility drugs and other Prescription Medications or Drugs associated with fertility treatment.”
Whether your Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota plan covers IVF
The Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota policy says how it pays for IVF when a plan includes it. Three things decide whether yours does.
- 1.Your employer's choice
Most people with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota coverage get it through work, and the employer picks the benefits. About 50% of employers with 500 or more workers now cover IVF.
- 2.Your plan type
A fully-insured plan follows the law of the state it is issued in. A self-funded plan, which 67% of covered US workers have, does not: it covers whatever the employer chose.
- 3.Your state's law
Some states require fully-insured plans to cover IVF, some require insurers only to offer it, and most require nothing. Your state's line is below.
What specific employers publish about their fertility benefits, including which insurer or benefit company runs them: companies that cover IVF.
Does Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota cover IVF in North Dakota?
North Dakota's insurance law applied to a Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota plan issued there. A state law reaches plans issued in that state, usually your employer's state, not where the clinic is.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota in North Dakota
Not because of state law: North Dakota has no law requiring private plans to cover IVF, so IVF under a Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota plan there depends entirely on what the employer chose (or, for a plan you buy yourself, on the plan's own terms). North Dakota law and clinics
State laws as summarized by RESOLVE Insurance Coverage by State, read Oct 1, 2026.
How to see what your Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota plan covers
A policy or program page is a summary. Your own plan's documents are what it pays by.
- 1Find out whether your plan is individual, small group or large group: the infertility benefit differs by plan line.
- 2Read the infertility services section and the exclusions in your certificate; the large group documents online are samples, and your group's own can differ.
- 3Call Member Services at the number on the back of your ID card with questions, and ask for precertification before IVF.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota and IVF: common questions
Does Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota cover IVF?
On fully insured large group plans, its sample certificates cover IVF up to a $20,000 lifetime maximum per member, after a $500 lifetime infertility deductible. Its 2027 individual and small group plans exclude infertility services.
Does BCBSND cover fertility drugs?
On the large group plans, drugs related to AI and assisted reproduction are part of the infertility benefit. Individual and small group plans exclude fertility drugs.
Does BCBSND cover egg freezing?
No. Every plan we read excludes freezing or storing sperm, embryos or eggs.
Does BCBSND cover donor eggs or a gestational carrier?
No. Donor eggs and sperm, surrogacy and gestational carrier costs are excluded on every plan we read.
- Sample Fully Insured Group Certificate of Insurance & Summary Plan Description, BluePartner 80 (large group) (Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, [01/01/2026])
- Individual Benefit Plan Certificate of Insurance, BlueCare Gold 70 2000 (Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, 01/01/2027)
- Group Benefit Plan Certificate of Insurance, BlueCare Gold 70 1800 (small group) (Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, 01/01/2027)