2026 Wisconsin Elections

This isn't partisan. It's whether someone you love can afford to have a child.

Wisconsin voters are electing a governor and an entire state legislature this November — the people with direct power over whether infertility care ever gets covered here. Use this guide to ask, to listen and to be an informed voter this fall.

Get the questions to ask

Get ready to vote

Why this election matters

Twenty-five other states have already passed laws that help make infertility care more affordable, and Wisconsin can too. The Wisconsin Building Families Act would require insurance to cover infertility diagnosis, treatment, and fertility preservation, while also setting standards for care that don't discriminate based on who's seeking it. But making that a reality requires electing representatives who will actually vote for it.

This bill has been introduced in three consecutive legislative sessions since 2021 and has never once received a committee hearing. A version of the coverage requirement was also included in the governor's own budget proposal and was stripped out before the final budget passed. None of that happens by accident — it happens because of who holds the seats in Madison and who sits in the governor's office, which is exactly what's on the ballot this November.

This isn't a partisan issue. It's about whether you, or someone you love, has ever wanted a child and couldn't afford the care to have one.

Nonpartisan notice: The Building Families Alliance of Wisconsin does not support or oppose any candidate or political party. This guide is nonpartisan voter education about a single issue — insurance coverage for infertility diagnosis, treatment, and preservation. Please use these same questions with every candidate running for the same office, regardless of party.

Get Ready to Vote

1. Check or update your registration - At myvote.wi.gov, or register up to 20 days before the election online or by mail. In-person registration is available at your polling place on election day with proof of residence.

2. Find your polling place - At myvote.wi.gov so you know exactly where to go and when polls are open.

3. Request an absentee ballot - At myvote.wi.gov if you'd rather vote by mail — request it early so it arrives and is returned in time.

4. Preview your sample ballot - At myvote.wi.gov, so you know every race on it, including governor and your state legislative seats, before you go.

5. Bring photo ID — Wisconsin requires photo identification to vote. Confirm which forms are accepted, and check accommodations for voters with disabilities, by linking here.

6. If something goes wrong at the polls - The national, nonpartisan Election Protection hotline can help: 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683), or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA en español.

Questions to ask candidates running for the State Legislature

You deserve to know where your candidates stand on infertility treatment coverage!

Every state legislative candidate asking for a Wisconsinite's vote this fall should have to answer directly where they stand. These are organized by theme so you can pick what fits the moment — at a town hall, in a written questionnaire, or over email or social media. A few questions, especially the ones naming the Wisconsin Building Families Act directly, are about a specific bill and land best with state legislative candidates; the coverage and affordability questions work well for governor candidates too.

Short on time? Start with these three questions to your candidates

A single IVF cycle can cost $20,000 or more, and Wisconsin does not require insurance to cover it. Do you support requiring private health insurance plans and the state employee health plan to cover it?
The Wisconsin Building Families Act would require insurance to cover infertility diagnosis, treatment, and fertility preservation. Would you vote to support this bill?
What actions would you take to make sure any infertility coverage requirement stays inclusive of everyone seeking treatment, regardless of income, race, marital status, or how they're building their family?

Insurance coverage and affordability

A single IVF cycle can cost $20,000 or more, and Wisconsin does not require insurance to cover it. Do you support requiring private health insurance plans and the state employee health plan to cover infertility diagnosis and treatment?

Right now, Wisconsinites pay health insurance premiums every month, but insurers aren't required to cover infertility treatment. What's your position on changing that, and what would you do in your first term to move it forward?

States that already require this coverage have seen premiums rise by about a dollar or less per member per month. Given how small that impact is, do you believe infertility coverage should be required in Wisconsin?

Every Wisconsinite should have the resources to build a family if they choose to. Do you agree that the cost of infertility care shouldn't be what stands between someone and having a child?

A single IVF cycle can cost close to half of what the typical Wisconsin worker earns in a year. Should insurers be required to cover infertility treatment services?

Infertility as a medical condition

Over 172,000 Wisconsin women have experienced difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term. Do you see infertility as a medical condition that health insurance should cover, the same way it covers other diagnosed conditions?

Wisconsin does not require insurers to cover infertility diagnosis or treatment, which means patients may have to pay entirely out of pocket or go without care. If elected, will you support legislation requiring Wisconsin insurers to cover infertility diagnosis and treatment?

The Wisconsin Building Families Act, specifically

The Wisconsin Building Families Act would require private health insurance and the state employee health plan to cover infertility diagnosis, treatment, and fertility preservation, including at least four egg retrievals with unlimited embryo transfers. Would you vote yes on this bill if it comes to the floor of the State Legislature?

This bill has been introduced in three legislative sessions since 2021 and has never once received a committee hearing. If elected or reelected, will you commit to giving it a hearing?

Who's still left out

Because a single treatment cycle can cost $15,000 to $25,000 out of pocket, care is mostly accessible to families who can pay that amount up front. Do you support expanding Medicaid or another public program to help cover fertility diagnostics and treatment for lower-income Wisconsinites?

What actions would you take to make sure any infertility coverage requirement stays inclusive of everyone seeking treatment, including LGBTQ+ individuals, single people, and those using donor eggs, sperm, or a surrogate?

Fertility preservation for cancer and serious illness

Nationally, about 1 in 3 people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life, and many cancer treatments can cause infertility. Do you support requiring insurance to cover fertility preservation, like egg or sperm freezing, for patients facing treatments that could affect their ability to have children?

Military, veterans and public employees

Military personnel, veterans, and federal civilian workers often lack comprehensive fertility coverage under their government health plans. Will you support legislation to expand infertility treatment coverage for those who serve our country?

Tips on how to ask these questions and get a real answer

A question is only as useful as the follow-up. Use this structure, whether you're at a town hall, writing an email, or filling out a candidate questionnaire.

Identify yourself — Name, city, and, if it's relevant, that you're one of the more than 1,000 Wisconsinites who've joined the Building Families Alliance since 2022.
Name the issue, briefly — One sentence with a stat: infertility affects 1 in 6 people, and treatment can cost $20,000 or more, with no insurance requirement in Wisconsin.
Ask a specific, answerable question — Not 'why don't you support families,' but something a candidate can't dodge: will you vote yes on this bill, will you give it a hearing, will you cosponsor it.
Document the answer, and follow up later — Write down what they actually said. A vague answer today is worth revisiting after the election.

When a candidate gives you a values statement instead of a commitment...

Listen closely to the response. If a candidate says something like "I fully support a family's right to build their future," that's a values statement, not a legislative commitment.

Follow up immediately:"Thank you, but will you vote to force insurance companies to cover it, or do you believe it should be left to the private market?" That question forces a clear distinction between moral support and legislative action, and it's the difference that actually matters for Wisconsin families.

Reaching your candidates

Every setting calls for a slightly different approach. To identify the candidates running for State Senate & State Assembly, preview your ballot by linking here.

Decoding your candidates responses

At a town hall or public forum — Keep it concise. State your name, your city, and the direct question. For example: 'Hi, my name is [Name] and I live in [City]. Infertility affects 1 in 6 people, but treatment can cost more than $20,000 and most insurance doesn't cover it. If elected, will you support legislation that requires insurance to cover infertility treatment and fertility preservation?'
Social media or email — Find your candidates' social media pages and tag the candidate publicly, or message their campaign directly. Use the hashtag #BuildingFamiliesWI so others asking the same question can find each other. Public questions are harder to ignore than private ones.
Track their record — For incumbents, look up their voting record on infertility and reproductive health legislation. A candidate who has voted against fertility coverage protections before has already shown you where they stand, even if they won't say so at a town hall.

What to listen for, and what to say next. 'ot every answer will be a clear yes or no. Here's how to read what you're hearing.

1. There are other, more natural approaches that work for many people." [Watch closely]

Some approaches can help in limited cases, but they cannot treat many common causes of infertility, including very few remaining eggs, no viable sperm, or blocked tubes that can't be surgically fixed. Presenting them as a universal alternative isn't supported by medical evidence.

Try this: "Those approaches may help some patients, but they can't help everyone. Should insurance cover the treatment that actually works for someone's specific situation, whatever that is?"

2. "I have concerns about what happens to embryos that aren't used." [Watch closely]

Those are personal decisions patients make with their doctors. Using those concerns to limit coverage means one person's moral view would prevent another person from getting treatment for a recognized medical condition.

Try this: "What happens to embryos is a personal decision between a patient and their doctor. Should that private choice be a reason to deny someone coverage for a medical diagnosis?"

3. "This would raise everyone's insurance premiums." [Worth following up]

Explanation: States that already require this coverage have seen very small premium increases, typically a dollar or less per member per month. Patients without coverage are already paying the full cost out of pocket, on top of their premiums. That's a cost shift, not a cost increase.

Try this: "States with coverage laws have seen very small premium impacts. Right now, patients are paying premiums every month for coverage that doesn't include their diagnosis. Is that fair?"

4. "I think employers should decide what to cover, not the government." [Worth following up]

Explanation: Most employers don't voluntarily offer this coverage — only about a quarter of employers with at least 10 employees provide any level of infertility benefit, and it's concentrated among the largest companies. We already require insurance to cover cancer treatment, diabetes care, and other recognized conditions.

Try this: "We already require coverage for other recognized medical conditions. Why should infertility be treated differently just because most employers haven't stepped up on their own?"

5. "I fully support a family's right to build their future." [Worth following up]

Explanation: A values statement isn't the same as a legislative commitment. It's a good opening, but it doesn't tell you whether the candidate will actually vote to require coverage.

Try this: "Thank you, but will you vote to force insurance companies to cover it, or do you believe it should be left to the private market?"

6. "I've already shown my support by voting for an IVF bill." [Positive sign]

Explanation: A vote on a bill that didn't pass, or a general statement of support, hasn't changed anything for Wisconsin patients yet. It's a positive signal, but it's worth asking what they'd do to make that support concrete.

Try this: "That's a good sign. But that vote didn't change anything for Wisconsin patients. What would you do here, in Wisconsin, to actually require insurers to cover this?""

Share the 2026 Voter Guide Today

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