Offering Injured Veterans Fertility Services (H.R. 958)

What is H.R. 958?

(Updated July 13, 2017)

H.R. 958 — Women Veterans and Other Health Care Improvements Act of 2013 — aims to aid disabled veterans who sustained injuries during combat that led to infertility.

In particular, the bill specializes in helping veterans afford advanced fertility services. H.R. 958 also covers a range of measures, and if passed would:

• Provide support (including counseling and covering the costs of fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization) for infertile veterans and their spouses who are trying to have kids. 
• Help cover the expenses to adopt one or more child for veterans who became infertile due to injuries sustained in combat.
• Require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the results of fertility counseling and treatments covered in the bill — including the number of vets who received treatment and the cost per individual treatment.
• Require that veterans only use certain types of fertility services approved by the VA Secretary.
• Facilitate research on infertility rates in the U.S.
• Grant stipends for veteran's child care.
• Mandate a contractor fee for the businesses and service providers that the Secretary engages. Said fees would be used to finance the bill. 

Argument in favor

Veterans who have sacrificed their health for the country deserve the chance to have a family. The U.S. government owes it to veterans to help finance the costs of fertility services.

Argument opposed

Fertility services are a costly luxury. It’s not the government’s job to ensure that veterans have access to these services — and it’s not the taxpayer’s job either.

Impact

Veterans who sustained injuries that rendered them infertile, their families, fertility treatment facilities, adoption agencies, the Department of Veteran Affairs, Defense and Health and Human Services.

Cost of H.R. 958

A CBO cost estimate for the Senate version of this bill (S.131) found that implementing these measures would cost $578 million over the 2014-2018 period.

Additional Info

Of Note:

One of the least talked about repercussions of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is the surprising amount of veterans who came home infertile. Most of the time, infertility issues stem from pelvic injuries sustained in combat. According to a report in 2003, 1,800 veterans suffered injuries related to infertility.

Media:

Sponsoring Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA) Press Release

New York Times