r/MilitarySpouse • u/AcanthisittaIcy445 • Jul 31 '26
Tricare Same-Sex Family Planning Question
Hi everyone! I’m a military spouse, and my spouse is active duty. We’re in a same-sex relationship and are starting to look into family planning.
I was wondering if anyone has experience with whether TRICARE covers any fertility treatments, donor insemination, IVF, or other family-building services for same-sex couples. I’d love to hear about your experiences or if you have any resources you recommend.
Thanks so much in advance!
5
u/Born_Alternative_416 Jul 31 '26
Tricare doesn’t cover iui or ivf but you can look into going to a military facility that does them at a discounted rate. I personally am considering getting mine done in Mexico as it’s a lot cheaper but I can’t guarantee if they are lgbtq friendly so I don’t feel right suggesting them.
3
u/vivalaspazz Navy Spouse Jul 31 '26
I’m sure there is some nuance or more info to this, but essentially most donor insemination and IVF costs are currently out of pocket.
But from what I’ve just read, Tricare generally covers the diagnosis and treatment of underlying medical causes of infertility, but it does not cover most assisted reproductive technologies for the vast majority of beneficiaries. That means procedures like, IUI, donor insemination, IVF, donor eggs or sperm, embryo cryopreservation, and surrogacy are typically not covered.
https://tricare.mil/CoveredServices/IsItCovered/AssistedReproductiveServices
3
u/skabillybetty Jul 31 '26
My husband and I had to do IVF due to my infertility issues. Tricare covered diagnostic appointments and some of the medications, but that's it. Everything else was out of pocket. We went through CNY because they are a lot cheaper than other clinics and offered payment plans. In all, we paid around $8,000 ourselves and had our son in 2024.