Congress·In Committee·H.R. 6797

Congress Proposes Expanding TRICARE to Cover IVF and Fertility Treatments for Military Families

Bipartisan IVF for Military Families Act

3 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

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Senate

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Law

Key Points

Congress is considering a bill to make fertility treatments, including IVF, a standard part of military health insurance. Currently, TRICARE coverage for these services is very limited, but this change would allow active-duty members and their families to access help starting a family through their regular health plan.
The plan covers a wide range of services, such as egg and sperm freezing, artificial insemination, and up to three rounds of IVF per year. It also includes the cost of medications and help coordinating care between different doctors to make the process easier for busy military families.
This policy would apply to all active-duty service members and their dependents using TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select. However, it specifically excludes former members of the military, meaning retirees or those who have already left the service would not be eligible for these new benefits.
To keep costs down for families, the bill says that patients should only pay the same amount they would for any other doctor's visit or hospital stay. The government would also be banned from using funds for things like human cloning, international surrogacy, or artificial womb technology.
If passed, these new benefits would not start immediately. The bill sets a start date of October 1, 2027, to give the Department of Defense time to set up the program and train healthcare providers on how to support the specific needs of military families.

HealthcareVeterans

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Negative Impacts(2)

Military Veteran

Hurts

Former service members are explicitly excluded from the new fertility benefits, even if they still use TRICARE.

Retiree

Hurts

Military retirees are specifically carved out and would not qualify for the new fertility coverage under this bill.

Positive Impacts(2)

Military Active

Helps

Active-duty members would gain full fertility treatment coverage, including IVF, through TRICARE at standard cost-sharing rates.

Pregnant

Helps

Military families struggling with infertility would get covered treatments like IVF, egg freezing, and artificial insemination to help them conceive.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Dec 17, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Dec 17, 2025

Introduced in House

Related News

3 articles

Washington Post·3 months ago

New IVF benefits for military families cut from defense bill again

The House passed a $901 billion defense bill without insurance coverage for military fertility treatments. The provision, which had bipartisan support, was reportedly removed by House Speaker Mike Johnson. Lawmakers have since introduced a standalone bill to restore the IVF benefits.

CL~

U.S. Medicine·2 months ago

Uproar Created When IVF Coverage for Servicemembers Was Stripped From Military Funding Bill

While IVF coverage was included in earlier versions of the FY26 NDAA, it was stripped at the last minute, leading to the introduction of the 'Bipartisan IVF for Military Families Act.' The new bill seeks to provide active-duty members with up to three rounds of IVF per year.

EWTN News·3 months ago

U.S. House passes defense bill stripped of IVF provision

The House passed the defense authorization bill without a provision to allow health care coverage of IVF for active-duty military. Pro-life groups praised the removal, citing ethical concerns regarding the destruction of embryos, while supporters introduced a standalone bill to continue the push.