Overview
- House Speaker Mike Johnson is reported to be working privately to remove a provision that would mandate TRICARE coverage of assisted reproductive technology, including IVF, for all enrollees.
- A spokeswoman for Johnson said he supports access to IVF only with "sufficient pro-life protections" and emphasized that the NDAA text is not final.
- Sen. Tammy Duckworth publicly condemned the effort and sent President Trump an annotated letter urging him to ensure the IVF coverage remains in the bill.
- The proposal would expand TRICARE fertility benefits beyond cases linked to service-related injury or illness, potentially affecting roughly nine million beneficiaries.
- The Congressional Budget Office estimated the expansion would cost about $3.3 billion from 2025 to 2029, a figure advocates dispute, as negotiators prepare compromise language for possible votes soon.