Dear Governor Sununu,

Hello, my name is Nicole and my husband's name is Robert. We write this letter to you in regards to the New Hampshire Fertility Bill NHSB279, which if passed will require health insurance to cover fertility treatments. This bill gives us hope in beginning a family which has been our dream.

My husband and I both live and work in New Hampshire. I am a kindergarten teacher in Bow and my husband is a full-time firefighter in Manchester. He also proudly serves on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a rescue specialist. Both our professions are extremely rewarding and meaningful but as we’ve learned, can come with a financial sacrifice when planning for a family. As we became ready to start trying to have a baby we never thought that coming up with the money to pay for a major fertility procedure would be a part of the process.

The IVF cost was quoted to be $12,000-13,000 for one round of treatment as our insurance will not cover any of the costs. Learning this information led us to feel overwhelmed with how to afford this treatment and it is the single roadblock we face in fulfilling our dreams of becoming parents.

To cover our bases we have researched various loans to borrow this money but the monthly payments were extremely high and would make it difficult to balance our household costs before and after giving birth. We have both contemplated leaving our jobs or moving out of state for this sole purpose, which is difficult when New Hampshire has always been our home and we have extremely fulfilling careers.

We never imagined the road to pregnancy would be filled with so many ups and downs. So many tests, what feels like endless waiting and a variety of unanswered questions along the way.

The claim that this process is an “emotional rollercoaster” feels like an understatement. We relive our disappointment month to month. At our age, the majority of couples in our social circle have kids or are pregnant with their first or even second child. The recent invitations to baby showers bring feelings of happiness for expectant families but sadness for our own uncertainty. We wonder when it will be our turn to experience such love.

We have read and reread the IVF paperwork for months now and we are ready. We want to look back on this journey and know we tried everything, every possible avenue to reach our dream of becoming parents. We both dedicate our lives to caring for others at work and we are ready to bring that care and love to our own child someday.

If you are able to support this bill we would be forever grateful. This bill would mean the difference between IVF being an unattainable dream to a reality that would provide us a chance to begin our family.

Thank you,
Nicole and Robert
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