No expansion of military IVF coverage included in final defense policy bill
WASHINGTON — Congress will not expand access to in vitro fertilization for active duty military members and their families in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, the annual bill that sets policy for the Pentagon.
The House-Senate compromise released this weekend follows months of debate between the two chambers over whether to broaden TRICARE’s coverage of assisted reproductive technologies like IVF, which are currently available only to troops whose infertility is linked to a service-related illness or injury.
Washington state Democratic Sen. Patty Murray said in a written statement she was “disappointed that the final NDAA didn’t include the provisions I pushed for to expand IVF access for veterans and servicemembers because of Republican opposition—women and men in uniform sacrifice so much for our country and should never have to sacrifice their right to start a family.”
“This bill was the result of tough negotiations with Republicans who were pushing to restrict women’s reproductive freedom in all kinds of ways—Democrats fought hard to make sure the final NDAA excluded all sorts of harmful riders that would have curtailed the ability of women in uniform to make their own health care decisions, including traveling for lifesaving abortion care,” Murray added.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/12/09/dc/no-expansion-of-military-ivf-coverage-included-in-final-defense-policy-bill/