The Department of Defense is launching a three-year pilot program on September 14, 2026, to reimburse active-duty troops for egg and sperm freezing. Mandated by the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, the program caps annual reimbursements at $10,000 for eggs and $500 for sperm. Eligible service members include those facing hazardous deployments or long separations. The Defense Health Agency will evaluate the program's impact on military readiness and retention.
DoD fertility preservation pilot
- ▪The Defense Health Agency will evaluate the success of the Department of Defense pilot program based on participation rates, costs, administrative burdens, user experience, and impact on military readiness and retention
- ▪The Department of Defense is launching a new three-year pilot program to reimburse active-duty military personnel for the cryopreservation and storage of eggs and sperm
- ▪The Department of Defense pilot program is scheduled to begin on September 14, 2026, as announced in a Federal Register notice published on August 13, 2026
Service member eligibility criteria
- ▪Active-duty service members geographically separated from their spouse or partner for at least six months due to military orders are eligible for the Department of Defense pilot program
- ▪To participate in the Department of Defense pilot program, service members must have an advanced medical directive specifying the disposition of their gametes after death
- ▪Active-duty service members qualify for the Department of Defense pilot program if they have received orders for duty in a country deemed hazardous, or are likely to receive such orders within four months
Annual reimbursement caps
- ▪Under the Department of Defense pilot program, annual reimbursements are capped at $10,000 per year for eggs and $500 per year for sperm
- ▪The annual reimbursement caps of $10,000 for eggs and $500 for sperm under the Department of Defense pilot program were mandated by the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act
Covered cryopreservation services
- ▪Service members participating in the pilot program can preserve gametes through military medical treatment facilities or civilian fertility clinics, including those outside the TRICARE network
- ▪Services rendered before the three-year Department of Defense pilot program window opens or after it closes are ineligible for reimbursement
- ▪The Department of Defense pilot program covers services including retrieval, freezing, storage, and shipping of gametes, with the one-year reimbursement clock starting upon the first covered service
Military fertility preservation rationale
- ▪The Department of Defense pilot program aims to test the feasibility of funding cryopreservation for service members facing combat deployments, hazardous orders, or long separations that could affect family planning
- ▪Although the Pentagon has considered introducing fertility preservation programs for over a decade, it previously failed to secure the necessary funding to launch one
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