IVF for Military Families Act

S. 1231, the IVF for Military Families Act, would expand military health insurance coverage to include fertility services for active-duty servicemembers and their families. Currently, TRICARE (the military's health insurance program) only covers fertility services for those who can prove their infertility is directly related to a service-connected injury or illness. This bill would change that by requiring TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select to cover a broad range of fertility-related care, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), fertility diagnosis, egg and sperm retrieval, and related procedures. The coverage would be available to active-duty members and their dependents starting October 1, 2027.

The bill also directs the Department of Defense to establish a program for coordinating fertility-related care that includes training healthcare providers to address the unique needs of military families. Supporters argue this change is necessary because about one in four military families experience infertility, and many servicemembers currently face the choice of paying tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for treatment, forgoing children, or leaving the military. The bill aims to create parity with the fertility coverage that Members of Congress and their staff already receive through federal employee health plans.