These women finally found a treatment that worked for PCOS. Why won't insurance cover it?

Shelby Hatcher had tried everything.

She used various methods of birth control — the pill, and then an intrauterine device (IUD) for 10 years. Her periods had been irregular since she was a teenager, but she wasn’t diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) until she tried to have a baby.

After having her IUD removed in May 2024, Hatcher-Gosnell had a period that lasted 45 days, and started experiencing symptoms of PCOS, such as fatigue and irregular menstrual cycles.

She was put on Letrozole to regulate her period, which works by reducing estrogen levels in the body, but it was ineffective. Her OBGYN told her she had two options: Go back on birth control to regulate her hormones before trying to conceive again, or “lose weight.”

The catch? Weight loss can help mitigate the symptoms of PCOS, but it won't necessarily address the hormonal imbalances associated with the condition, which make it difficult to lose weight.