Rep. Sara Jacobs Leads Bipartisan IVF for Military Families Act
After IVF coverage for military families was stripped from the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act last week, Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Rep. Nick LaLota (NY-01), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), and Rep. Jen Kiggans (VA-02) introduced the Bipartisan IVF for Military Families Act to continue the fight to deliver this much-needed and deserved care for active duty service members and their dependents. This legislation mirrors text that was unanimously adopted on a bipartisan basis by the House Armed Services Committee and passed the House earlier this year.
Rep. Sara Jacobs said: “Like I said last week, the fight isn’t over. Our military families shouldn’t be denied IVF access just because of politics while bearing the physical and emotional costs of service. Civilian employers are increasingly providing IVF coverage to their employees, and it’s even accessible to every Member of Congress and their staff, but the military is still lagging behind. This is creating an acute readiness and retention crisis because our military families are forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for IVF, forgo having children, or leave the military to get private coverage instead. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the Bipartisan IVF for Military Families Act to give our service members every opportunity to build their families.
“Since 2023, Congress has rightly focused on strengthening military recruitment and retention by increasing troop pay, improving housing, expanding health care, and investing in quality of life for servicemembers and their families. Now, Congress should expand access to IVF, as many civilian employers already do, to build on that progress and help ensure America maintains the most lethal fighting force the world has ever known,” said Rep. Nick LaLota (NY-01).
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan said: “Military families already sacrifice so much in service to our country, and they should not be forced to put their dreams of starting a family on hold because TRICARE fails to cover medically necessary fertility care. Servicemembers should never have to choose between serving their country and building a family. This bipartisan bill recognizes infertility as a real medical condition and ensures servicemembers and their families have access to fertility care without unnecessary barriers. Supporting military readiness means supporting the people who serve.”
“Military families already sacrifice so much in service to our nation. Access to IVF and fertility care shouldn’t depend on financial means. The Bipartisan IVF for Military Families Act of 2026 is about fairness and keeping faith with the men and women who serve by ensuring TRICARE covers the fertility treatments they need to build their families,” said Rep. Kiggans.
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