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May 06, 2022

VA Aims to Increase Access to Infertility Treatments and Drop Copays for Contraception

Included in the VA’s FY 2023 budget plan are proposals for legislation that would eliminate cost-sharing for birth control and increase access to fertility services. One proposal would expand programs that provide advanced fertility treatments, such as IVF, to seriously injured veterans who are single, are in a same-sex relationship, or need to use donor embryos or gametes. Although the VA has covered the cost of IVF since 2016, it has only been covered for married couples who provide their own eggs and sperm and whose infertility stemmed from service-related injury or illness. Currently, IVF is available at six military treatment facilities, and service members whose infertility is not directly related to combat injury can utilize these for a cost per cycle. With the U.S. birth rate declining, increasing access to IVF and other fertility treatments could help combat the steady decline. Additionally, the budget includes a proposal to drop copayments for veteran's birth control prescriptions in an effort to improve access and improve health outcomes.  

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