Washington, D.C. — Last week, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), a leader in the Pro-Choice Caucus, led the introduction of the Expanding Access to Fertility Care for Servicemembers and Dependents Act, which would expand TRICARE coverage to make Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) services available to all active-duty servicemembers (including the Reserve and National Guard) and dependents – regardless of service-connection requirements, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or marital status of the servicemember.
“Answering the call to serve often means making a great number of sacrifices for your country. Being able to start a family should not be one of them. My bill, the Expanding Access to Fertility Care for Servicemembers and Dependents Act, removes current barriers in TRICARE and helps ensure that all servicemembers can access the fertility care they deserve to start a family,” said Strickland.
“All servicemembers deserve equitable access to infertility care without discrimination. The Expanding Access to Fertility Care for Servicemembers and Dependents Act is an important step toward that goal. This Act would remove legal barriers to infertility care for active duty servicemembers that render many of them ineligible for coverage, including single servicemembers, servicemembers in same-sex partnerships, and servicemembers impacted by unexplained infertility. This Act would also bring us closer to the day when all servicemembers have equitable access to comprehensive infertility care that helps them reach their goal of building a family,” said Karla Torres, Senior Human Rights Counsel, Center for Reproductive Rights.
According to the New York Times, one of the first issues that service members struggling with infertility face is insurance coverage. TRICARE currently pays for assisted-reproductive procedures if a loss in reproductive ability is a result of a service-connected injury. Otherwise, servicemembers must pay out of pocket.
Even for those who are eligible for TRICARE fertility care, a report by Service Women’s Action Network found that women who were not straight or not married seemed to receive very mixed infertility care, and in some cases were denied infertility treatments. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, an estimated 16 percent of female servicemembers and four percent of male servicemembers identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Additionally, unmarried servicemembers represent approximately 43 percent of active duty servicemembers, 52 percent of National Guard and Reserve members, and 40 percent of veterans.
The bill has been endorsed by the Center for Reproductive Rights and Modern Military Association of America, and is co-sponsored by Representatives Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-at-large), Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), Mark Takano (CA-41), and Carolyn Maloney (NY-12).
