Serving Those Who Serve? Access to IVF for Servicemembers and Veterans
- Publication
Servicemembers and veterans appear to face high rates of infertility. Unfortunately, limited information, restrictive laws and policies, high out-of-pocket cost, and other barriers put the fertility health care they need out of reach for many.
This issue brief is the third in a series discussing the unique barriers servicemembers, veterans, and their dependents face in accessing reproductive health services.
This updated issue brief first provides background on infertility generally as well as on racial disparities in incidence rates and access to care. It also highlights how access to fertility health care, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), is an important aspect of comprehensive health care and key to ensuring the full spectrum of reproductive rights. Second, it discusses infertility among servicemembers and veterans, with a particular focus on female infertility, where significant research and knowledge gaps persist. Third, it notes the multiple barriers to IVF for servicemembers, veterans, and their dependents, including legal restrictions on insurance coverage, out-of-pocket cost barriers, and logistical and systemic barriers. Finally, it offers policy recommendations for ensuring equitable and non-discriminatory access to fertility health care, including IVF, for servicemembers, veterans, and their dependents.
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