Veterans with combat injuries that prevent them from naturally conceiving a baby would be able to get additional fertility assistance from the VA under a bill cleared today by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.
Called the Women Veterans And other Health Care Improvement Act of 2012, the measure would require the VA to cover reproductive treatment options like surrogacy and assisted reproductive technology methods like in vitro fertilization for injured vets.
According to a summary of the bill:
The nature of the current conflict and increasing use of improvised explosive devices leaves service members far more susceptible to blast injuries including spinal cord injury and trauma to the reproductive and urinary tracts.
At least 1,800 service members have suffered these kind of wounds in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars since 2003, according to bill author Senator Patty Murray.
