Military.com, citing court documents recently unsealed as part of an ongoing lawsuit, reported that the Department of Defense plans to cover advanced fertility treatments for same-sex and unmarried couples.
Some military hospitals offer donor gametes and in vitro fertilization for a fee to married soldiers or free to soldiers whose infertility may be related to a service-related injury. according to Go to Military.com. The military health care system will expand coverage to unmarried service members, eliminate marital requirements for recipients, and make rule changes to allow the use of donor eggs and sperm, according to documents seen by the outlet. It is said that it will be introduced.
“The Department of Defense is in the process of determining the precise contours of these policy changes and will finalize a signed memorandum formally directing the changes and providing further details on their scope by the end of February 2024, and the plaintiffs ” wrote Damian Williams, attorney for the Southern District of New York, according to Military.com.
Advocates argued that the Pentagon's current policy discriminates against same-sex couples and single soldiers, according to Military.com. (Related: Senator criticizes data from Pentagon officials on whether exaggerated abortion restrictions are preventing women from serving)
In August, the National Organization for Women, the Yale Law School Veterans Affairs Clinic, and the National Veterans Affairs Legal Program sued the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs based on the allegations. They also claim the policy violates the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender.
“Infertility is prevalent in the military, with thousands of veterans and service members struggling to start families,” the complaint states. The group says research shows that veterans and military personnel have higher rates of infertility than the general population, often as a result of the physical hardships they endure while serving in the military.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is reviewing its policies in light of the Pentagon's changes, according to documents obtained by Military.com. The extension in the case was granted while the Department of Veterans Affairs considered changes to the Pentagon's plans.
“We applaud the Department of Defense for its efforts to expand access to infertility treatment for military members,” Sonia Ossorio, NOW NYC's executive director, said in a statement, according to Military.com. “We are so excited for the service members who will now be eligible for coverage and who desperately need this care to start families.”
yesterday, @DepSecDef I participated @POTUS and @VP in @White House Toward the First Reproductive Health Care Access Task Force Meeting. The Deputy Secretary outlined several measures taken by the Department to ensure access to care. Taking care of our employees remains our top priority. pic.twitter.com/cK4IsrZGdE
— Department of Defense🇺🇸 (@Deptof Defense) August 4, 2022
According to Military.com, the Pentagon's current policy only pays for IVF, counseling and some assisted reproductive technologies for married service members with service-related infertility. Some married soldiers can pay for in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination at one of seven military-run facilities. Tricare, the military's medical plan, has limited care options, primarily related to the diagnosis of the problem, and does not cover most assisted reproductive procedures.
Under the Biden administration, the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration are seeking to significantly expand accommodations for LGBTQ military and veterans and increase access to abortion and assisted reproductive technology.
“There are limits to the services VA can provide to legally married same-sex couples. [limitations] We believe that is not consistent with our requirement to care for all veterans,” said Veterans Affairs Secretary Dennis McDonough. Said In May.
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