Senate defense bill excludes IVF coverage for military families

Duckworth highlighted that the same language had successfully passed the committee and the full Senate with bipartisan support in previous years. She expressed disappointment that the provision was not considered this year, despite its prior backing. The defense policy bill itself passed the committee with an 18-9 vote and is slated for consideration by the full Senate.

Under current regulations, Tricare insurance for service members only covers fertility services if the infertility is a direct result of a serious or severe illness or injury incurred while on active duty. Duckworth's proposed amendment aimed to broaden this coverage to include diagnosis and treatment for infertility, specifically mentioning IVF. It also proposed a program for fertility-related care coordination tailored to military families' unique circumstances.

This IVF provision was part of both the House and Senate versions of last year's National Defense Authorization Act but was ultimately excluded from the final compromise legislation. Duckworth attributed this omission to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). Opposition to IVF from some anti-abortion advocates stems from the common practice of discarding unused embryos.