Syracuse Doctor Offers Injured And Infertile Military Personnel Free In Vitro Fertilization


Saying, “It’s the least we can do,” a doctor is providing free in vitro fertilization treatment to active military personnel and veterans whose service-related injuries have left them infertile.

According to Dr. Robert Kiltz – who is the founder of CNY Fertility Center in Syracuse – he is providing the free IVF treatment because such procedures are not covered under Tricare, the military medical program for U.S. troops and their families, or by the Department of Veterans Affairs health system.

Offering both free in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination, Syracuse.com quotes Kiltz as saying, “It’s the least we can do.”

“Right now in America veterans who are wounded in combat are not covered for the most basic of needs, which is family building.”

Under a 24-year-old law, Veterans Affairs are prohibited from covering the cost of in vitro fertilization treatment. The law was reportedly adopted as a result of conservative opposition to assisted reproduction and concern that fertilized embryos might be discarded. 24 years down the line, that law hasn’t been changed.

Dr. Kiltz said he had recently traveled to Washington, D.C. in an attempt to get senators and congressmen to amend the outdated law, in order to allow veterans and active-duty military personnel the necessary IVF coverage.

There have reportedly been some efforts to overturn the VA’s ban but all have failed over the issue of limited funding. In a report on the subject by Reuters they quote North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis as saying re-prioritizing $500 million in VA funds towards in vitro fertilization would be a problem, especially as the VA is at present unsuccessful in providing for the basic health needs of vets.

Reuters reports that the Pentagon does now fund IVF for active military personnel, while the VA doesn’t cover it for service members forced into retirement due to their injuries.

They quote an estimated figure of 1,800 veterans who have suffered damage to their reproductive organs in combat over the last decade.

Saying, “It makes no sense,” Barbara Collura of the infertility association RESOLVE said she has spent several weeks organizing both veterans and their spouses to take part in Senate lobbying efforts.

Reportedly, many forms of contraceptives, including diaphragms, injectables, pills, intrauterine devices and patches are covered by Tricare, although military clinics are not required to keep stock of these. Due to this, women in the military reportedly have higher unplanned pregnancy rates than other female groups. However, the problem comes when military members and their families are unable to get pregnant.

According to Parent Herald, Tricare does, reportedly, provide artificial insemination and IVF at four military treatment facilities in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Texas and Washington. The problem is that patients are forced to pay all the costs, even if their infertility was caused by a combat wound or service-connected disability.

In vitro fertilization doesn’t come cheap. According to Dr. Kiltz, the treatment costs anywhere from $3,900 to $7,000. Reportedly, many commercial health insurance plans also do not cover the IVF treatment.

Dr. Kiltz says the CNY Fertility Center does approximately 3,000 assisted reproductive procedures each year, including in vitro fertilization. During the IVF process, a woman’s mature eggs are fertilized with sperm in a laboratory.

In the video included below, an injured veteran explains that due to his injuries, he is now infertile. On his return home he had to explain the situation to his fiancée, who was concerned, both for his health and well-being and also for the future of their family.

In their case, the wife’s medical care as a teacher covers the in vitro fertilization, while the VA’s program would not, but this is not always available to those military members longing for a family of their own.

[Image via Jennifer D. | Flickr | Cropped and resized | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]

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