Fortegra Financial Corp., an international specialty insurer and subsidiary of New York-based Tiptree Inc., has reached an agreement with LifeSpring Insurance Services to underwrite up to $50,000 in early-life coverage for prospective parents.

The product currently is available to Texas residents, and Fortegra said in a statement that it plans to expand to other states later this year.

“Infertility profoundly changes your life. It can impact your marriage, career, friendships, personality, and financial security. As an industry, we have struggled to find the best way to provide coverage and keep it affordable,” said LifeSpring's chief executive officer, Jason Muesee. “LifeSpring is dedicated to changing the way infertility is insured by offering an affordable resource for those who may be faced with infertility. Our team, with the help of Fortegra, can now turn peoples' dreams of future family into reality.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Survey of Family Growth, one-in-eight American couples experience infertility issues. Couples between the ages of 29-33 only have a 20 to 25 percent chance of conceiving in any given month.

For in vitro fertilization, the average out-of-pocket cost is around $10,000 to $15,000 per cycle, “a huge financial burden,” said Fortegra's executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Scott McLaren. “We're proud to underwrite such a unique offering that can help mitigate the cost of treatment and allow prospective parents to realize their dream of having a family.”

According to the companies, under the program, should a couple with at least one policyholder experience trouble conceiving between the ages of 18 and 35, LifeSpring would provide up to $50,000 of coverage for medication, doctor visits, IVF and related treatments with no deductibles or co-insurance. Once coverage begins, the beneficiary couple is given a year to resolve any treatments made and approved prior to reaching age 36.

LifeSpring focuses on infertility treatment insurance.

Victoria Spears is senior vice president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc., a law firm marketing communications consulting company. She is the associate director of the Insurance Coverage Law Center and editor of journals on insurance law, banking law, bankruptcy law, energy law, government contracting law, and privacy and cybersecurity law, among other subjects. Contact her at  [email protected].