Tennessee Fertility Advocates

“You don’t need a child to live.”  

That is a direct quote from an insurance representative when asked why fertility treatments weren’t included in the caller’s healthcare coverage. Infertility isn’t a choice; it’s a disease. Yet, when couples and individuals seek help, they’re told by their insurers to deal with it on their own. As it stands, there is no national mandate for fertility coverage, which leads us to today’s guests, Kara Edwards and Mollie Walker. They’re working to bring a mandate to Tennessee and formed the Tennessee Fertility Advocates. 

Both Kara and Mollie experienced their fair share of family building hurdles. Kara had a difficult start with endometriosis on her side and male factor infertility on her husband’s side. Four IUIs, multiple rounds of IVF, and over $110,000 later, she had twins. For Mollie, she took the medication Clomid, an estrogen modulator, to assist in conceiving her first child. Then, after two miscarriages, doctors diagnosed her with a blood clotting disorder called Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS). Proper treatment led Mollie to her second child. 

Although we can celebrate their fertility success, these stories highlight the backwards logic of our healthcare system.  Without coverage, couples and individuals end up making decisions based on their finances and not based on what will actually help them reach their goal of parenthood.  

Throughout this episode, we hear from Kara and Mollie about Tennessee Fertility Advocates, which seeks to change legislation in their state on coverage for fertility treatments. If successful, it will require eligible employers to provide fertility benefits for their employees. Join us to learn how you can do the same for your state.  

Guests: Kara Edwards and Mollie Walker, Tennessee Fertility Advocates  

Host: Dan Bulger 

“You don’t need a child to live.”  

That is a direct quote from an insurance representative when asked why fertility treatments weren’t included in the caller’s healthcare coverage. Infertility isn’t a choice; it’s a disease. Yet, when couples and individuals seek help, they’re told by their insurers to deal with it on their own. As it stands, there is no national mandate for fertility coverage, which leads us to today’s guests, Kara Edwards and Mollie Walker. They’re working to bring a mandate to Tennessee and formed the Tennessee Fertility Advocates. 

Both Kara and Mollie experienced their fair share of family building hurdles. Kara had a difficult start with endometriosis on her side and male factor infertility on her husband’s side. Four IUIs, multiple rounds of IVF, and over $110,000 later, she had twins. For Mollie, she took the medication Clomid, an estrogen modulator, to assist in conceiving her first child. Then, after two miscarriages, doctors diagnosed her with a blood clotting disorder called Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS). Proper treatment led Mollie to her second child. 

Although we can celebrate their fertility success, these stories highlight the backwards logic of our healthcare system.  Without coverage, couples and individuals end up making decisions based on their finances and not based on what will actually help them reach their goal of parenthood.  

Throughout this episode, we hear from Kara and Mollie about Tennessee Fertility Advocates, which seeks to change legislation in their state on coverage for fertility treatments. If successful, it will require eligible employers to provide fertility benefits for their employees. Join us to learn how you can do the same for your state.  

Guests: Kara Edwards and Mollie Walker, Tennessee Fertility Advocates  

Host: Dan Bulger