Infertility Services for Veterans: Policies, Challenges, and Opportunities

Stephanie W Edmonds; Laurie C Zephyrin; Alicia Christy; Ginny L Ryan

doi:10.1055/s-0039-1692127

Back

Infertility Services for Veterans: Policies, Challenges, and Opportunities

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Infertility Services for Veterans: Policies, Challenges, and Opportunities

Stephanie W Edmonds, Laurie C Zephyrin, Alicia Christy and Ginny L Ryan

Seminars in reproductive medicine, Vol.37(1), pp.12-016

01/2019

DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1692127

PMID: 31185513

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0039-1692127View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Infertility prevalence and care needs among male and female Veterans are understudied topics. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical benefits package covers full infertility evaluation and many infertility treatments for Veterans but not, by law, for their spouses. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is also specifically excluded from this medical benefits package by regulation. Congress passed a law in 2016 that allowed VHA to provide IVF to Veterans and their legal spouses, and broader infertility benefits to the legal spouse, if the Veteran has a service-connected condition associated with his or her infertility, with some limitations. As the Veteran population becomes increasingly female, research efforts in reproductive health, including infertility, are expanding and evolving. This includes a nationwide study currently underway examining infertility among male and female Veterans and associations with military-related trauma, such as injury, posttraumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, and toxin exposure. In this review, we describe the state of the science and policy on infertility care in the VHA along with challenges and opportunities that exist within the VHA system.

United States

Reproductive Health - legislation & jurisprudence

Reproductive Techniques, Assisted - legislation & jurisprudence

Delivery of Health Care, Integrated - legislation & jurisprudence

United States Department of Veterans Affairs - legislation & jurisprudence

Humans

Reproductive Medicine - legislation & jurisprudence

Male

Infertility - diagnosis

Veterans Health Services - legislation & jurisprudence

Fertility

Policy Making

Veterans Health - legislation & jurisprudence

Government Regulation

Female

Infertility - physiopathology

Infertility - therapy

Details

Title: Subtitle: Infertility Services for Veterans: Policies, Challenges, and Opportunities
Creators: Stephanie W Edmonds - Center for Access and Delivery Research and Evaluation (CADRE), Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Iowa City, Iowa
Laurie C Zephyrin - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York University, New York, New York
Alicia Christy - Women's Health Services, VA Office of Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, District of Columbia
Ginny L Ryan - Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Seminars in reproductive medicine, Vol.37(1), pp.12-016
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1692127
PMID: 31185513
NLM abbreviation: Semin Reprod Med
ISSN: 1526-8004
eISSN: 1526-4564
Publisher: United States
Language: English
Date published: 01/2019
Academic Unit: Nursing; Obstetrics and Gynecology
Record Identifier: 9983931645302771

Metrics

20 Record Views

4 Times Cited - Web of Science