Murray proposes ending the ban on fertilization services for veterans

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) promoted their legislation Tuesday, which would end the ban on in vitro fertilization (IVF) services at veterans’ hospitals.

The two lawmakers are meeting with veterans in their home state who have experienced reproductive injuries while deployed. Some veterans whom they are scheduled to talk with later Tuesday have had to pay high out-of-pocket costs in the private sector to start their own families, since the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would not cover the medical procedure.

The Women Veterans and Other Health Care Improvement Act, introduced by Murray, the chairwoman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, passed out of committee last month.

During markup of S. 3313, committee members looked at Pentagon data, which showed that more than 1,800 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have suffered pelvic fractures and genitourinary injuries that could affect their ability to reproduce. Many of the injures were caused by improvised explosive devices. 

Murray and Larsen’s bill would allow these service members to access IVF when they return home to receive healthcare at the VA.

Sens. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) are co-sponsoring the bill.

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