The Department of Defense has implemented two policies to ensure that service members and their eligible dependents have access to noncovered reproductive health care services, even if those services are not readily available near their permanent duty station. One policy allows for travel and transportation allowances to be used for these services, while the other grants administrative absences of up to 21 days.
Between June and December 2023, the travel and transportation allowance policy was used 12 times across the military services at a total cost of approximately $45,000. However, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh clarified that this does not necessarily mean 12 individuals used it, as an individual may have used the policy multiple times.
The second policy allows service members to take administrative absences from their normal duty stations for up to 21 days to receive or accompany a dual-military spouse or dependent receiving noncovered reproductive health care services. These noncovered services include procedures like egg retrieval, ovarian stimulation, intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization, and noncovered abortions.
While the Department of Defense covers travel costs for accessing these services, service members are responsible for paying for the actual health care services. Singh emphasized that these policies aim to give service members and their families the time and flexibility to make private health care decisions and ensure access to noncovered reproductive health care services regardless of their duty station.
