Dr. Silverberg Goes to Washington
Austin, Texas – May 15, 2011– For years, couples and individuals seeking to expand their families through adoption have received an adoption tax credit to help offset their expenses. On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., Dr. Kaylen Silverberg, co-founder of Texas Fertility Center (TFC), lobbied the Central Texas congressional delegation to support an equivalent bill for couples undergoing fertility treatment.
“In our practice, we have helped thousands of couples who are struggling with infertility bring home a child,” Dr. Silverberg said. “The tax credit offered by this bill will help lessen the financial burden these couples face as they attempt to make their dreams come true.”
Dr. Silverberg has been working with members of Congress to introduce a fertility tax credit bill in the House over the coming months. In essence, this new tax credit would provide a $13,360 fertility treatment tax credit. National infertility groups such as the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and RESOLVE support these efforts.
“From a tax perspective, it seems only fair to give couples who are trying to have their own genetic child the same benefits as couples whopursue families through adoption,” explained Dr. Silverberg.
Similar in scope to the current law for the adoption tax credit, which allows $13,000 per adopted child, this new legislation would benefit patients seeking fertility treatment. Because most current insurance plans fail to cover fertility treatments, a fertility tax credit would help defray the costs of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and other therapies.
Just last week, Senator Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced legislation in the Senate to provide eligible taxpayers a tax credit of 50 percent of qualified infertility treatment expenses incurred during the taxable year. The FAMILY Act would apply to expenses related to in-vitro fertilization and treatments to preserve fertility in advance of medical procedures which may impact fertility and would be capped at $13,360 per year.
Conservative estimates suggest that one of eight couples – or over 7.3 million Americans – experience male or female infertility while trying to conceive. With treatments such as ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination (IUI), and IVF, Dr. Silverberg and the physicians at TFC offer hope to these couples.
Dr. Silverberg added: “Advances in medical science enable us to help about 85 percent of the couples we see, but infertility treatment is expensive. Unfortunately, while health insurance usually covers treatments for other diseases that are far less effective, infertility treatment is usually overlooked. A single cycle of IVF costs approximately $12,000, which can make fertility treatment unaffordable to all but the most affluent Americans. This bill can serve to offset some of the cost for couples who are seeking to become parents.”
About Texas Fertility Center
Texas Fertility Center (TFC), one of the nation’s leading full-service infertility practices, provides advanced Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology services to patients throughout Texas, the Southwestern United States, and the Americas. Since 1980, TFC has been recognized nationally for outstanding pregnancy rates, cutting-edge laboratory procedures, and innovative research programs. For more information, please visit www.txfertility.com.
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