Women Veterans Health Care
VA Fertility & Family-building Services
If you are having challenges building your family, you are not alone. At VA, we understand that trying to build your family can place stress on you and your relationships. We are here to support you. VA covers a wide range of fertility treatments, procedures, and services.
What is infertility?
Infertility is a condition characterized by any of the following:
- The inability to achieve a successful pregnancy as established by your medical, sexual, and reproductive history, age, physical findings, diagnostic testing, or any combination of these factors, or
- The need for medical intervention, including, but not limited to, the use of donor eggs, donor sperm, or donor embryos in order to achieve pregnancy, either as an individual or with a partner.
VA is here to support all Veterans seeking to build their families.
How does coverage for fertility evaluation and treatment work in VA?
Fertility evaluation and some treatments are covered for all Veterans who use VA health care under the Medical Benefits Package regardless of service connection, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, relationship, or marital status.
Fertility evaluation may include:
- History and physical exam
- Laboratory tests
- Imaging services such as ultrasounds and X-rays
- Genetic counseling and testing Fertility treatments may include:
- Hormonal therapies for gonadal stimulation
- Surgical treatments for conditions affecting fertility
- Consultation for reversal of sterilization
- Intrauterine insemination (IUI)
- Sperm retrieval techniques for IUI
- Use of donor sperm for IUI, purchased by the Veteran
- Counseling related to fertility care
Not all Veterans will need all these treatments. Some Veterans may have a cause of their infertility that requires assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to build their families.
What is ART/IVF?
Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) are any treatment or procedure that includes the handling of human eggs and sperm or embryos, outside of the human body, for the purpose of establishing pregnancy.
ART includes, but is not limited to:
- in vitro fertilization (IVF);
- embryo transfer;
- gamete (egg and sperm) and embryo cryopreservation;
- genetic testing of the embryo(s);
- and manipulation of sperm and eggs.
IVF is an ART procedure in which an egg is removed from a mature ovarian follicle and fertilized by a sperm cell outside the body. Then the fertilized egg, also known as an embryo, is allowed to develop in a protected environment for several days. It is then either transferred into a uterus or frozen (cryopreserved).
Who is eligible for VA ART/IVF benefits?
To be eligible for VA ART/IVF benefits, a Veteran must have a VBA-adjudicated service-connected disability or treatment of a VBA-adjudicated service-connected disability that is causally related to their infertility. This means that the VBA adjudicated service-connected disability, or its treatment, caused the infertility. Eligible Veterans may be married, unmarried, or single. The lawful spouse of an eligible Veteran, if applicable, is also eligible for benefits.
What is included in VA ART/IVF benefits?
ART/IVF benefits cover the same VA fertility services that all Veterans are eligible for under the Medical Benefits Package, as well as:
- ART/IVF, including counseling, evaluation, and treatment
- Veteran's lifetime benefits of 6 attempts to create embryos
- Veteran's lifetime benefit of 3 completed embryo transfer cycles
- Cryopreservation of sperm, eggs, and embryos
- Storage of cryopreserved sperm, eggs, and embryos until the death of the Veteran
No, a Veteran's marital status is not a factor in determining their eligibility for VA ART/IVF benefits. If a Veteran has infertility causally related to their service-connected disability, they may be eligible regardless of sexual orientation or relationship status.
Yes, if the Veteran's partner is their lawful spouse and the Veteran is eligible for VA ART/IVF benefits. By law, VA can only cover eligible Veterans and their legal spouses. VA cannot provide services to an eligible Veteran's partner who is not their lawful spouse.
Yes, Veterans may obtain donor eggs, sperm, or embryos for use in fertility treatments. However, VA does not cover the cost of obtaining donor eggs, sperm, or embryos.
Fertility preservation is a preventive measure that is performed before medical treatments that could cause infertility. It is the process where eggs or sperm are frozen to preserve them for an extended period of time. VA covers this if a necessary medical treatment is likely to prevent a Veteran from using their own eggs or sperm in the future. For example, this could happen during cancer treatment like chemotherapy, or gender-affirming interventions. However, VA does not cover fertility preservation for delayed childbearing alone. Storage of eggs or sperm for fertility preservation is covered for 10 years under the benefit.
What if a Veteran eligible for ART/IVF would like to pursue adoption?
Veterans who are eligible for VA ART/IVF benefits are also eligible to receive an adoption reimbursement benefit. Adoption benefits include up to $2,000 per adopted child under the age of 18 years, with maximum reimbursement of $5,000 in any calendar year for adopting multiple children under the age of 18. Apply using Form 10-10152: Reimbursement Request for Qualifying Adoption Expenses.
Where can I find more information and support on infertility?
To learn more about infertility treatment and resources, access the following:
- VA Fertility Services Brochure
- American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)*†
- Resolve (patient advocacy) *†
Relevant statutes
- Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, 2021*
- Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020*
- 10 U.S.C. § 1074 (Medical and dental care for members and certain former members)*
Relevant regulations
- 38 CFR 17.38* (Medical Benefits Package, relevant to those receiving care under 17.412)
- 38 CFR 17.380* (SC-Infertility for Veterans)
- 38 CFR 17.412* (Fertility counseling and treatment for certain spouses)
VHA Directives
- VHA Directive 1334* Service-connected infertility
- VHA Directive 1332* Fertility management
- Department of Defense Policy for Assisted Reproductive Services for the Benefit of Seriously or Severely Ill/Injured Active Duty Service Members*
Instruction of the Secretary 01-24
- "Instructions for Determining Eligibility for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Benefit"* dated March 28, 2024
Women Veterans Health Care Videos
Watch videos for and about Women Veterans.
Women Veterans Health Care Outreach Posters
View our Outreach Posters.
The Women Veterans Call Center is your guide to women's health
If you have questions or can't find what you're looking for, you can call, text, or chat online with the Women Veterans Call Center (WVCC) at 855-829-6636 to get help and find available resources and services in your area. Trained women representatives can also:
- Provide you with information on enrolling in VA health care if you have not already
- Provide you with information on setting up a medical appointment in your area
- Provide you with information about your eligibility (including questions about disability ratings) and other VA benefits like employment, education, and home loans
- Connect you with your local VA Medical Center or local women's health contact who can assist in coordinating all the services you need
WVCC representatives are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET, and Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET.
* By clicking on these links, you will leave the Department of Veterans Affairs website.
† VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked website.
