Does the VA Health System provide benefits for artificial insemination, or any part of the process or procedure?
When medically indicated by VHA, VA benefits provide diagnostic and treatment services for infertility to female and male Veterans. These services include infertility assessment, counseling, and treatment.
Only the enrolled Veterans as described in the medical benefits package contained in 38 CFR 17.38 is eligible for the VA-covered infertility treatment services. Non-Veteran partners, spouses or significant others, are not eligible to receive infertility treatment services from the VA.
Certain infertility services and treatments are provided to non-Veteran spouses via CHAMPVA. Non-Veteran spouses should refer to CHAMPVA Benefits for infertility coverage. Services under CHAMPVA include diagnostic testing, surgical intervention, hormone therapy and procedures to correct the cause of infertility.
The VA provides healthcare benefits for artificial insemination also known as intrauterine insemination (IUI) services but does not provide In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or other assisted reproductive technologies due to the prohibited cost. However, the Department of Defense, DOD, does cover In Vitro Fertilization and other assisted reproductive technologies such as GIFT, ZIFT, TET, and ICSI.
Note that the techniques of IUI and IVF are different. With artificial insemination (IUI) the human egg is fertilized in the uterus, whereas, the In Vitro Fertilization technique (IVF) the retrieved human egg fertilizes in a laboratory and later the embryos are introduced inside the uterus.
Women Veterans are provided the benefit of intrauterine insemination. The VA provides Male Veterans with sperm washing for sperm donation used in artificial insemination. Services for Female and Male Veterans include: diagnostic testing, required surgeries and interventions as necessary for the IUI procedure.
The VA and the DOD do not provide Surrogacy or Third Party donation benefits.