April 01, 2025

Duckworth, Jacobs Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Help Cover IVF Costs for Servicemembers and Military Families

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC)—and U.S. Representative Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51) introduced the IVF for Military Families Act, bicameral legislation that would require TRICARE coverage of fertility services, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), for servicemembers and their families. The bill introduction comes after Congressional Republicans—in secret negotiations behind closed doors—betrayed military families by striking a Duckworth-Jacobs amendment that would have required such coverage from the final FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last year, even though it had passed in the House and through committee in the Senate. The lawmakers’ bicameral legislation would help ensure military families can get the same level of IVF coverage that’s accessible to Members of Congress and federal employees. In addition to Duckworth and Jacobs, the legislation is co-led by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (D-WA-02).

“After all the tremendous sacrifices they make, our brave women and men in uniform should never have to make the impossible and unjust choice between serving their country or facing financial ruin just to start a family,” said Senator Duckworth. “It was extremely disappointing that our IVF provision—which would have simply ensured that our servicemembers and their families have access to the same level of IVF coverage as Members of Congress—was removed from the final defense bill behind closed doors last year, even after so many of my Republican colleagues continue to loudly and publicly claim to support IVF. President Trump pledged to voters on the campaign trail that he would go even further by making IVF free if elected and has repeated the bold-faced lie that he is governing on the principle of ‘Promises made, promises kept.’ Republicans can now help him partially fulfill his broken IVF promise by joining our commonsense legislation that would make sure those who answer the call to serve have access to the care they need to build their family.”

“Our military families have sacrificed so much for our safety and security–they shouldn’t also sacrifice their dream to build a family,” said Congresswoman Jacobs. “But for too many service members, the lack of TRICARE coverage of IVF has left them with only a few choices: beat the odds and prove that their infertility is directly related to their service, pay tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for a chance at a family, forgo having children, or leave the military. This is wrong. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the IVF for Military Families Act with Senator Duckworth to give them every opportunity to build their families. To my colleagues: We now have access to this level of health care coverage, and we shouldn’t deny that same standard to those who wear our country’s uniform. And to President Trump: calling yourself the father of IVF is meaningless–take some action and support our bill.”

“Servicemembers who risk their lives to protect our families deserve all the support they need to grow theirs,” said Senator Murray. “Federal employees have access to comprehensive infertility treatment, including IVF – and TRICARE should cover those same services for our servicemembers, full stop. Struggling with infertility is painful enough without having to worry about the cost of treatment. I’ve worked for over a decade to expand access to IVF and other fertility treatment for veterans and servicemembers who need it, and am proud to be joining Senator Duckworth to introduce the IVF for Military Families Act to continue fighting to ensure our servicemembers never have to sacrifice their ability to start a family.”

“One in four military families experience infertility. Congress should take the long-overdue step of overturning outdated limitations on IVF to give service members access to the reproductive health care they deserve,” said Congressman Larsen. “Women and men in uniform should not have to choose between serving their country and starting a family.”

The IVF for Military Families Act would help create parity between Members of Congress and active duty servicemembers and their dependents by requiring TRICARE to cover infertility diagnosis and treatment, including IVF. The bicameral bill would also direct the Secretary of Defense to create a program on fertility-related care coordination to address the unique needs of military families. President Trump promised that if elected he would make IVF free for Americans, saying: “We are going to be, under the Trump Administration, we are going to be paying for that treatment,” and “We're going to be mandating that the insurance company pay.”

More than 10 percent of active-duty respondents said family-building challenges are a main reason why they’d leave the military, according to the Blue Star Families 2021 survey. The survey also reported that 23 percent of active-duty military and 27 percent of military spouses reported experiencing infertility, compared with just 12 percent infertility rate amongst the general population. Despite higher rates of infertility within the military, the vast majority of servicemembers and their partners who need help to conceive and have children must pay up to tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket to access needed care, including IVF. This lack of TRICARE coverage makes it harder for members of the military to build their families, and it negatively impacts mental health, recruitment and retention of top talent.

The IVF for Military Families Act is endorsed by: RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), National Military Families Association (NMFA) and Military Officers Association of America (MOAA).

“The majority of Americans–85%–support access to IVF, one of the most effective medical treatments for those struggling to build their family,” said Barbara Collura, President/CEO, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. “Yet so many people are shut out of accessing this care, including the brave Americans who serve in the military. They assume they will have the best medical care possible, yet we make it so hard for them to start or grow their family while serving our country. This injustice can be fixed by passing the IVF for Military Families Act, a bill that simply provides parity to the comprehensive IVF coverage that Members of Congress and their staff have now. There is no need to wait–let’s get this passed.” 

“The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) is proud to support the IVF for Military Families Act. With higher rates of infertility impacting the military due the dangers of the job and the unique family building challenges our men and women in uniform face, it is a no brainer that TRICARE should cover fertility treatments like IVF,” said Sean Tipton ASRM Chief Advocacy & Policy Officer. “For decades, ASRM has championed increasing access to fertility treatment for all Americans, including federal employees. This is why we thank Senators Duckworth and Murray and Congresswoman Jacobs and Congressman Larsen for their leadership on legislation to ensure that military families have no less than the same fertility benefits available to Members of Congress. This should be a bipartisan issue, and we are hopeful the administration will look closely at this bill as it considers way to expand access and reduce out of pocket costs for IVF.”

Duckworth has been leading the charge to protect IVF for the millions of Americans who rely on it nationwide. Last Congress, Duckworth and Murray introduced the Right to IVF Act in the Senate—a sweeping legislative package that would both establish a nationwide right to IVF and other assisted reproductive technology (ART) as well as lower the costs of IVF treatment for middle-class families. Despite many of Republicans publicly claiming to support IVF, nearly every Senate Republican voted against the bill in June and again in September last year. The September vote was the third time Republicans blocked Duckworth-led legislation that would protect IVF nationwide last year.

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