Lawmakers seek expanded IVF coverage for military families
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U.S. Rep. Sara Jacobs is pursuing a new way to expand fertility coverage for military families after it was stripped from the latest national defense policy bill.
Why it matters: San Diego has one of the largest concentrations of military personnel, and about one in four service members and their spouses report infertility.
- In vitro fertilization, or IVF, treatments can cost tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket.
Driving the news: Jacobs and other congressional lawmakers introduced the Bipartisan IVF for Military Families Act as a standalone bill Wednesday to require military health care to cover all fertility treatments, including IVF and egg freezing.
- Speaker Mike Johnson worked to remove a similar provision from the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act last week, despite it passing with bipartisan support in previous House and Senate versions.
What she's saying: "It's a national security issue," Jacobs told Axios. "People are leaving the military because they cannot continue and build the families that they want."
Between the lines: California requires large health insurers to cover IVF treatments, but that doesn't apply to the thousands of local military families who use TRICARE, the military's health plan.
Zoom in: TRICARE only covers fertility treatment for those who can prove that there's a service-connected reason for their infertility, which can be challenging.
- Jacobs said she talked to one woman who's tried 11 rounds of IUI, and can't get TRICARE to cover IVF, even with proof that her husband's multiple combat deployments have caused his fertility issues. They've even considered getting divorced so that she can get that coverage elsewhere, she said.
What's next: The bill will likely be voted on next year.