Pentagon Pays Soldiers to Freeze Eggs, Sperm Before Duty
Published Date: 8/13/2026
Notice
Summary
Starting September 14, 2026, certain active-duty members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force can get reimbursed for freezing and storing their eggs or sperm. This three-year project helps those facing hazardous duty, deployments, or long separations from loved ones. The goal? To see how useful and affordable this benefit is for our troops and their readiness.
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Reimbursement caps for gametes
Starting September 14, 2026, active-duty covered members can be reimbursed up to $500 per year for sperm cryopreservation and up to $10,000 per year for oocyte (egg) cryopreservation during the three-year demonstration. The one-year reimbursement period is individualized to each member and is measured from the first date of a reimbursable service.
Who qualifies for reimbursement
You are eligible if you are an active-duty member of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space Force and either have orders (including deployment orders) for duty that may earn hazardous duty pay, are likely to receive such orders in the next 120 days, or will be under orders and geographically separated from a spouse, domestic partner, or dating partner for at least 180 days (including sea duty).
How to claim reimbursement
To get reimbursed you must submit DHA Form 459 signed by you and your Commander attesting eligibility, provide itemized invoices and proof of payment, and submit the request within 120 days of when each covered service was rendered. Storage and shipping fees may be reimbursed separately and, once you have previously been reimbursed under the program, those recurring costs can be reimbursed for the program duration up to statutory limits.
Covered services and where to get them
Covered services include gamete retrieval procedures (including medications, lab tests, and imaging), medical testing required for retrieval and cryopreservation, cryopreservation itself, shipping of gametes, and storage in a private facility. You may use military medical treatment facilities with REI programs or civilian fertility clinics of your choice; civilian providers need not be TRICARE authorized, but MTF capacity is first-come, first-served and may not align with your orders.
Exclusions and end-of-program limits
The program does not reimburse for embryo creation, in‑vitro fertilization (IVF), or other elective procedures. Services dated before September 14, 2026 or after the program ends are not eligible; all covered services must be rendered on or before the final program date and reimbursement requests will be accepted up to 30 days after program end. You must be on active duty in a covered Armed Force both when services are provided and at the time of reimbursement.
Must have an advanced directive
Participants are required to attest that they have an advanced medical directive that specifies disposition of gametes upon death and are advised to consult local legal assistance to complete it.
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