The State - News from March 20, 1988

A landmark court settlement has been approved in San Francisco that could provide $25 million to $50 million to about 5,000 women for in-vitro fertilization. The agreement was negotiated between Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and thousands of women who had been denied coverage for the fertilization procedure. Women will receive compensation of up to $50,000 each for the procedure, which has a 20% success rate and frequently must be repeated. The agreement is limited to those women who were candidates for the treatment between July 1, 1983, and June 30, 1985, when Kaiser specifically excluded coverage of in-vitro fertilizations. Women who can no longer be treated will receive cash compensation of up to $50,000.