October 30, 2024 (Gilbert, AZ) — Yesterday, Building Military Families Network delivered a letter to Congress urging the expansion of TRICARE benefits to include all assisted reproductive technology (ART) so that all military families can build and grow their families in the final Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Building Military Families Network has a long history of advocating for the military community to increase access to and coverage of fertility treatments, including IVF and fertility preservation, despite being a young organization.

Currently, TRICARE coverage for fertility treatments is only available to those service members with a service-connected injury or illness that results in their infertility. This limited coverage is often complicated and burdensome to prove and excludes many military families from receiving treatments for the disease of infertility. Additionally, starting in January, members of Congress, their staff, and federal employees will see comprehensive fertility coverage, including IVF, with their respective health care plans. Building Military Families Network feels that their expansion in fertility benefits is unfair when military families have been overlooked in similar expansions for TRICARE.

For the first time this year, the House and Senate versions of the FY25 NDAA will include provisions for expanding coverages for fertility treatments. However, the Senate version contains two different provisions on how this would be done. Section 627 includes several troublesome requirements, most notably service requirements and additional service commitments to access fertility treatments. On the other hand, Section 705 provides coverage for all forms of ART, including IVF and fertility preservation. Building Military Families Network is asking Congress to ensure that the language in the NDAA's final version includes all TRICARE beneficiaries, all fertility treatments, and that there are no service requirements or conditions when utilizing this earned medical benefit.

Building Military Families Network’s Community Support Director and the 2024 Armed Forces Insurance National Guard Spouse of the Year, Courtney Deady, shares, “Throughout the nation, military families make extraordinary sacrifices to serve our country and deserve equitable health benefits without unnecessary barriers. Building Military Families Network supports the inclusion of comprehensive fertility coverage in the FY25 NDAA without restrictive service requirements or conditions. Congress must recognize the sacrifices of military families nationwide by providing the same standard of reproductive health benefits being extended to members of Congress and federal employees. This critical step would help ensure military families across the country have access to the full range of fertility treatments they have earned, strengthening our commitment to those who defend our freedom.”

Building Military Families Network knows that military families face unique challenges when starting or growing their families due to deployments, frequent moves, and other financial stressors. That is why they are dedicated to ensuring that any expansions to TRICARE coverage for fertility treatments include not only all family-building options but also our entire military community.

“Congress has an opportunity to ensure that all military families currently serving can build or grow the family of their dreams by expanding TRICARE access to include all fertility treatments in this year's National Defense Authorization Act. Our military families deserve to have the same level of access to treatments like IVF as members of Congress will have starting in January without additional service requirements or going into debt. Our organization hears the heartbreaking stories of military families that have to give up the dream of being parents because they cannot afford IVF and Congress has the opportunity to change that, ” said Julie Eshelman, Founder, CEO & President of Building Military Families Network.

For more information on Building Military Families Network and for ways to get involved, please visit www.buildingmilitaryfamiliesnetwork.org.

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About Building Military Families Network

Building Military Families Network is a 501c3 organization with a mission to provide an empowering and supportive network to military and veteran families navigating the challenges in the family-building process through support groups, education, and resources. Their Education Center and Resource Library empower military and veteran families with all the information and tools they need on their journey to parenthood. The Support Group Program provides families with peer support and builds community. Their advocacy efforts are focused on increasing insurance coverage and improving access to all family-building options for military and veteran families. Building Military Families Network is a beacon of hope for building military families.

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