The context
The expansion of care is part of the VA’s efforts to support veterans who are seeking to grow their families.
Under existing law, all veterans who receive IVF from the VA must be unable to procreate without the use of fertility treatment due to a health condition caused by their military service.
The VA was also only allowed to provide IVF services to veterans who were legally married and—within that relationship—able to produce their own eggs and sperm, according to a news release.
The details
Veterans enrolled in VA health care are eligible for a range of reproductive health care services, including:
- Maternity care
- Gynecology care
- Cervical cancer screenings
- Menopause care
What they’re saying
VA Secretary Denis McDonough said she was proud the VA would soon help more veterans raise families.
“This expansion of care has long been a priority for us, and we are working urgently to make sure that eligible unmarried veterans, veterans in same-sex marriages and veterans who need donors will have access to IVF in every part of the country as soon as possible,” McDonough said in a news release.