A new, more expansive definition of "infertility" could bring help to hopeful LGBTQ+ and single parents in California and beyond.

Why it matters: Redefining the condition could lead to broader insurance coverage of fertility services like egg freezing and in vitro fertilization for all people who need help starting families — not just heterosexual couples.

• It could also bolster ongoing legislative efforts to make fertility coverage more inclusive in states like California, where some prior attempts have failed.

Driving the news: The American Society for Reproductive Medicine redefined infertility to include people who need medical intervention, such as donor eggs or sperm, to achieve pregnancy.

• It's no longer limited to when a man and a woman can't get pregnant after a year of unprotected intercourse or intrauterine insemination — or six months for women over 35.
• The updated language applies to anyone who needs help having children, regardless of relationship status, gender identity or sexual orientation.

Between the lines: "There's been a real issue with getting access to treatment for certain causes of infertility including for single people [and] people in same-sex relationships … so it became clear that we need to explicitly address that," ASRM spokesperson Sean Tipton told Axios.

Zoom in: California only requires insurers to offer infertility treatment coverage, but that does not include IVF coverage, according to infertility advocacy group Resolve.

• Religious organizations and employers who are self-insured are exempt.
• Meanwhile, the state does require health insurance companies to cover the cost of fertility preservation procedures, which is particularly helpful for cancer patients.

What we're watching: While the new "infertility" definition creates one avenue to more inclusive coverage, California legislators are pursuing another.

• State lawmakers are considering a two-year bill that would require health insurance plans to cover the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services, including IVF.
• It also expands the definition of infertility to include coverage for LGBTQ+ individuals and surrogates.
• "Historically, many cannot afford the out-of-pocket costs of treatment, and LGBTQ+ individuals have been largely excluded in California due to a hetero-normative definition of infertility," state Senator Caroline Menjivar said in a statement.
• Yes, but: Previous legislative attempts to expand coverage to include IVF, diagnosis and treatment for single persons, same-sex couples and transgender people stalled.

Go deeper

San Diego State University is in the closing stretch of a disappointing season, but head football coach Brady Hoke's contract gives him a compelling case for job security, according to the latest data from USA Today as reported by Axios' Maxwell Millington.

Driving the news: Hoke's contract pays him $1.27 million per year, but the university would have to bump his salary to $4.8 million to part ways before it expires on June 30, 2027.

By the numbers: Hoke's compensation puts him in the middle of the pack among his peers.

• His pay ranks 78th among the 119 college football coaches for which USA Today has contract details.
• Hoke is the 8th highest paid coach of the 12 Mountain West Conference teams, though USA Today did not have information for Air Force.
• SDSU basketball coach Brian Dutcher out-earns Hoke too, with a $1.35 million base salary last year, according to USA Today's college basketball coach salary database. (Dutcher's contract also carries a $5.9 million buyout.

What we're watching: SDSU football's second season in Snapdragon Stadium has not gone to plan.

• The team is 3-5 — good for 8th place in the Mountain West, the conference it explored leaving this summer amid nationwide conference realignment.
• SDSU needs to win three of its next four games to be bowl-eligible for what would be a 14th consecutive year. All four teams remaining on SDSU's schedule are ahead of it in the standings.
• In its last game, SDSU lost 6-0 to Nevada at home, helping the Wolf Pack break a 16-game losing streak dating to Nov. 27, 2021.

🐳 SeaWorld is arguing in court that the city of San Diego is not entitled to $12.2 million in back rent because the park suffered "substantial damages" from closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Union-Tribune)

⛺ City officials are pursuing plans for a safe camping site or parking lot that could provide shelter for up to 700 homeless individuals in Point Loma. (Voice of San Diego)

🚛 Emissions from electricity use in San Diego fell 27% from 2020 to 2021 as the region increasingly relied on renewable energy sources. But emissions from cars and trucks increased 13% during the same period. (KPBS)

🍕 Pitfire Pizza, the Los Angeles standout that's been nominated for a James Beard Award among other distinctions, is opening its first San Diego County outpost. The Carlsbad location is open for full service tomorrow. (Eater)

👏 Give it up for Jessie, the "lion politician" and unofficial winner of our very serious pet Halloween costume contest!

🦞 Enoki the lobster, with an iconic photoshoot at Windansea, is our second-place winner!

Honorable mentions: Ozzie is not quite loving his role as Sven from "Frozen."

• And Daisy, who rocked her pumpkin headband at doggie daycare, has a contagious smile.

💼 See who's hiring around the city.

1. Associate Director Marketing at Acaidia Pharmaceutical.
2. Senior Sales Representative, Performance Contracting at Honeywell.
3. National Records Manager at Epiq.

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Speaking of contests ... We can see why the creepy Chupacabra defeated Bigfoot to take the title as best cryptid!

Go deeper: Want to explore the myth behind our favorite blood-sucking beast? Check out this short video explainer, this book and this article.