Servicemembers about to deploy to a danger zone or for an extended period without their significant other will be eligible to have the cost of freezing their sperm or eggs covered by the Pentagon under a three-year pilot program.

Congress mandated the program, outlined Aug. 13 in the Federal Register and first reported by Military Times, in the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). MOAA has long supported the effort as part of its wide-ranging support of military families; a 2022 letter from MOAA, the Military Family Building Coalition, the National Military Family Association, and the Global SOF Foundation championed a similar proposal that would’ve offered cryopreservation to 1,000 servicemembers deploying for combat and special operations.

[READ THE LETTER]

Providing servicemembers with fertility preservation options gained increased attention during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts given the high number of injuries caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) which left many wounded servicemembers with significant challenges to family building. These challenges were brought to greater public attention through stories of couples such as Jason and Rachel Hallett and Aaron and Kat Causey, who shared their struggles.

“Military families have earned access to reproductive services, and nowhere is that more evident than for servicemembers about to go into harm’s way,” said Karen Ruedisueli, MOAA’s director of Government Relations for Health Affairs. “MOAA looks forward to working with key officials, lawmakers, and other stakeholders to continue ensuring these families receive the care and treatment options they deserve.”

The new benefit covers up to $500 per year for sperm cryopreservation and up to $10,000 a year for oocyte cryopreservation, according to the Federal Register. To qualify, participants must:

• Have orders that will allow them to receive hazardous duty pay.
• Are expected by the secretary of war to receive such orders within 120 days.
• Have orders that will separate them “from a spouse, domestic partner, or dating partner” for at least 180 days.

Putting Families First

MOAA’s ongoing work on behalf of military and veteran families has included supporting a range of reproduction- and fertility-related programs, such as:

• A five-year pilot program allowing pregnancy to be treated as a qualifying life event for TRICARE Select enrollment, which would give growing military families more treatment options and help limit access challenges. The Improving Access to Prenatal Care for Military Families Act is included in the House version of the FY 2027 NDAA.
  
  
• Efforts via the NDAA and on other legislative fronts to require TRICARE coverage of assisted reproductive technology, including in vitro fertilization (IVF) for active duty servicemembers and their families. The change would align TRICARE policy with that of plans that cover members of Congress and their staff which already approve IVF care.
  
  
• The bipartisan Warrior Infertility Act, which would make infertility a presumptive condition tied to toxic exposure.

Keep up with these and other MOAA legislative priorities by visiting our advocacy news page and registering at our Legislative Action Center.