PENTAGON REINSTATES REIMBURSEMENT FOR IVF TREATMENT TRAVEL COSTS FOR MILITARY FAMILIES

The Pentagon will continue to reimburse service members for travel costs when they need fertility treatments. This reverses part of its earlier decision to completely end the policy for reproductive health travel.

Last month, the Department of Defense announced it would end a policy from the Biden administration that allowed funding for service members and their families to travel to states where abortion is legal. The policy also covered other reproductive treatments, like IVF treatment and birth control, that were not included under military insurance.

Memo Clarifies Travel Reimbursement for IVF Treatment

However, in an update to the Joint Travel Regulations effective February 4, the Defense Department stated that canceling the policy “should not be seen as removing access” to non-covered assisted reproductive technologies like IVF. The policy also includes coverage for ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, sperm collection, intrauterine insemination, and cryopreservation.

"This item reestablishes the authority to travel for Non-Covered Assisted Reproductive Technology," said the newest memo, signed by Sarah Moore, deputy director of the Defense Travel Management Office.

The memo last month "should not be interpreted as the elimination of access to non-covered Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). This revision is effective immediately, and these changes will be published in the March 1, 2025, edition of the Joint Travel Regulations."

A Pentagon spokesperson also confirmed that the policy was changed again to allow travel for IVF treatments but didn't comment on whether the earlier full reversal was a mistake or intentional.

Administrative Absences for Reproductive Health Care

Another policy from the Biden administration allowed service members to take an administrative absence to access reproductive health care not covered by military insurance or to help a spouse or family member do the same. This leave did not affect their pay or use up personal leave time.

According to a defense official, the policy has been used 711 times since September. The official explained that the Department of Defense tracks the number of times the policy is used, not the number of people who use it.

Policy Origins and Reactions

The policy to reimburse travel costs for various reproductive health care services was first introduced by the Biden administration after the 2022 Supreme Court decision that let states ban abortion. The administration said it was important to make it easier for troops to travel for reproductive health care in order to help women join and stay in the military, especially since the largest military bases are in states with abortion bans or restrictions, and service members can't choose where they are stationed.

Republicans strongly opposed the policy, saying it went against laws that prevent federal money from being used for abortions. In response, Senator Tommy Tuberville from Alabama blocked senior military promotions for 11 months, leaving top military positions unfilled and creating problems for families waiting on those promotions.

At the same time, Republicans quickly voiced support for IVF after an Alabama court decision hinted at more limits on reproductive care following abortion bans. The court ruled that frozen embryos could be considered children under state law. While this wouldn't ban IVF outright, it could make the process very difficult to carry out.

Following the ruling, former President Donald Trump promised during his campaign that either the government or insurance companies would cover all IVF treatment costs.

Mixed Support for Fertility Treatments

Even though Republicans have spoken in support of IVF, they have resisted efforts to expand access to such treatments. The Pentagon first ended its full travel policy for reproductive care to follow an executive order signed by Trump on his first day in office. Last year, Republicans in Congress also blocked a plan to expand Tricare's IVF coverage for military members.

Welcoming the Policy Reinstatement

Advocacy groups that were upset about the policy being removed last month welcomed the change to allow IVF treatment travel again.

"The aggressive action taken by the new administration didn’t just target those seeking travel for abortion care, but servicemembers and their dependents seeking fertility care were woefully out of touch. The recent policy revision to cover the costs for members of the military and their families to travel for in-vitro fertilization treatment is a reflection of that reality," Allison Jaslow, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said in a press release.

"This is a step in the right direction for the Pentagon, but the support that we give to women in the military and military families can't stop there. Those who’re serving and sacrificing so much for us deserve safe access to the full spectrum of reproductive care that they need and deserve."

Read next:

• DOD Is Now Covering Same-Sex Troops IVF Treatment Cost
• A Closer Look Into What Is Surrogacy
• Here Are the New Post-Roe Air Force Pregnancy Regulations

Source:

• Pentagon Says It Will Cover Travel Costs For Military Families’ IVF Treatments