Are Menopause Treatments Covered by Insurance?
Quick Read
Lawmakers across the country are pushing to make menopause care easier to get. More than half of U.S. states have introduced bills covering insurance, provider training, and workplace protections, and states like Illinois, Louisiana, and New Jersey have already made coverage mandatory. The FDA also removed its longstanding warning labels from hormone therapy in late 2025. What you're covered for still depends on your state and your plan, so check with your insurer.
After decades of underfunding for women’s health research, health experts and lawmakers are considering providing more coverage for menopause treatment. The menopausal transition is about more than feeling occasionally fatigued or irritated. Perimenopause and menopause can change a woman’s quality of life by making it more difficult to complete tasks throughout the day. Common menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, a decline in energy, and trouble sleeping occur as estrogen levels decline.
Despite the fact that roughly 75 million women in the U.S. are in perimenopause, menopause, or postmenopause at any given time, clinical research and education around this phase of life remain underfunded and undervalued. As a result, many clinicians receive little formal training in menopause management. OB-GYN and primary care providers often report feeling underprepared to counsel patients on perimenopausal symptoms, HRT options, and long-term health risks, especially compared with the depth of training and research focus devoted to men’s cardiometabolic and hormonal health. This gap leaves many women navigating a major biological transition with providers who were never adequately equipped by traditional medical education to support them.
Perimenopausal women are often told their symptoms are normal and inevitable. But treatment options exist. Hormone therapy remains the most effective treatment for hot flashes and night sweats, and women don't have to move through this transition without adequate care.
Lawmakers in more than half of U.S. states have now taken up menopause-related legislation covering provider training, patient education, workplace protections, and insurance coverage. Growing awareness has the potential to change how midlife women manage this transition in their daily lives.
What are Menopause Laws?
Menopause laws are current bills being introduced in certain states to increase awareness and support for perimenopausal treatment. It’s one of the few pieces of legislation to find common ground across party lines.
In 2024, a bipartisan group of senators introduced the Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act. The bill would authorize $275 million over five years for federal menopause research, healthcare workforce training, and public awareness efforts. It has since been reintroduced but has not passed.
State activity has expanded quickly. In 2024, California, Illinois, and Louisiana were the only states with menopause laws on the books. Since then, the number of states introducing menopause bills has more than quadrupled.
Each menopause law is different based on what each state prioritizes. Some focus on increasing educational resources, while others focus on training medical professionals or mandating insurance coverage.
At the federal level, the Improving Menopause Care for Veterans Act of 2025 would direct the Government Accountability Office to study menopause care furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA would then be required to report a strategic plan to Congress on improving the quality of and access to that care. The bill was introduced in January 2025 and remains in committee. Separately, a GAO report released in June 2026 found that 60% of women veterans surveyed had never seen the VA's menopause education materials.
What States are Considering Menopause Laws?
Menopause legislation has been introduced in states across the country, ranging from patient education to workplace protections to insurance coverage. States with active coverage bills include:
New York
Michigan
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Virginia
California
This list may continue to grow as menopause awareness increases. Some bills remain in committee, while others have advanced through one or both chambers.
Several states have already passed laws. Illinois and Louisiana were the first to mandate insurance coverage for menopause treatment, in 2023 and 2024. New Jersey signed its Menopause Coverage Act into law in January 2026, requiring insurers to cover hormonal and non-hormonal therapies, pelvic floor physical therapy, bone health treatment, behavioral health care, and counseling. Oregon and Washington have passed measures supporting access for some patients. In California, menopausal health can count toward continuing professional education requirements for healthcare providers, though the governor has vetoed broader insurance mandates twice.
Potential Menopause Law Changes
Rhode Island is leading the charge on workplace protections. In June 2025, Governor Dan McKee signed House Bill 6161, making Rhode Island the first state to expressly require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees experiencing menopause. Possible accommodations include telework, a modified schedule, more frequent breaks, and time off for medical appointments. Employers must also post written notice of these rights in the workplace.
Accommodations can look different from state to state. New York and New Jersey have both introduced bills that would prohibit menopause-related employment discrimination and require workplace accommodations, and the city of Philadelphia passed a similar ordinance.
A Major Shift in Hormone Therapy Labeling
In November 2025, the FDA announced it would remove the boxed warnings from hormone therapy products containing estrogen. The agency asked manufacturers to remove references to cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and probable dementia, and to update labels with age-specific guidance. The warnings dated back to the early 2000s and contributed to a sharp decline in hormone therapy prescriptions. The change doesn't mean hormone therapy is right for everyone, and individual risk factors still matter, but it removes a longstanding barrier to care.
What Resources are Available for Updates on Menopause Laws?
Numerous resources exist to provide educational guidance and policy updates for menopausal women. The following are a few non-profit organizations that provide updates on menopausal laws:
Let’s Talk Menopause: A nonprofit committed to educating the public about menopause. The organization maintains an interactive map of menopause bills and legislation by state.
A Citizen’s Guide to Menopause Advocacy:A free digital guide written by Jennifer Weiss-Wolf and Dr. Mary Claire Haver that explains how menopause policy works and how to advocate at the state level. It's updated as legislation moves.
The Menopause Education Center: An education organization offering menopause classes and workplace training programs for employers.
Does Insurance Cover Menopause Treatment?
Insurance coverage for menopause treatment varies by state and by plan. The best way to know what your plan covers is to call your insurer directly. Many plans cover hormone therapy, but formularies differ, and some plans require prior authorization or limit which forms are covered.
Original Medicare (Parts A and B) generally doesn't cover hormone therapy, since most forms are taken at home. Coverage typically requires a Part D prescription drug plan or a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage. What you pay depends on your plan's formulary and may involve a deductible, copay, or prior authorization. As of 2026, Part D plans have a $2,100 annual cap on out-of-pocket prescription costs.
You can also get hormone therapy through telehealth platforms. Whether you're prescribed a gel, tablet, patch, or injection may affect the price point offered by telehealth platforms versus in-person care.
Where Can I Learn More About Menopause Treatment?
Support for menopause treatment is growing as more people become educated about ways to improve their lives with menopause. With the LifeMD Women’s Health Program, you can receive quality menopausal treatment with guidance from a licensed healthcare provider.
Get started today to learn more about menopause treatment.
