Tennessee Reproductive Medicine picks up where the VA leaves off, providing discount IVF treatments for veterans with infertility due to service-related injuries
Chattanooga, Tenn. (May 24, 2016) – Tennessee Reproductive Medicine (TRM) proudly supports the “Serving Our Veterans” in vitro fertilization (IVF) veteran program to offer discounts to injured veterans in need of IVF treatment. Chattanooga’s TRM joins the nationwide initiative begun by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), which launched the fertility discounts for veterans in response to Congress failing to pass legislation to provide infertility treatment options.
With the approach of Memorial Day, which honors the veterans who have died serving their country, TRM wants people to know about the “Serving Our Veterans” program. Many vets may not know about the discounts available to them at clinics that have joined the national program.
“We are happy to participate in this IVF discount program to help our military veterans dealing with infertility due to service-related injuries,” said Dr. Jessica Scotchie, who started TRM in 2008 with co-founder Dr. Rink Murray. “This is a small way we can give back to our military veterans who have served our country.”
IVF is an expensive, though effective, treatment that can help both men and women who experience infertility become parents. “Serving Our Veterans” is an effort to fulfill the nation’s obligation to veterans by making those injured whole again. But IVF services are not covered for veterans who need them.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not offer any help to veterans with the costs of IVF due to a law banning the VA from doing so passed in 1992. This law keeps injured veterans from having children when they return home after sustaining a fertility-impairing injury. The Paralyzed Veterans of America found that from 2001 to 2013, more than 1,200 soldiers suffered a genitourinary injury that resulted in the inability to have a child.
Congress continues to stall any action on changing this law, prohibiting the VA from providing IVF services for veterans. That’s why ASRM, SART and clinics like TRM are offering to foot part of the cost of IVF for veterans whose active-duty injuries make IVF treatment their best chance to conceive a child. The program is slated to stay in effect until Congress alters the law.
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Tennessee Reproductive Medicine (TRM) is a full-service reproductive endocrinology and fertility clinic located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with satellite monitoring centers in Knoxville, Tenn. and Rome, Ga. TRM’s goal is to provide the most advanced medical and surgical care to patients suffering from infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, endometriosis, reproductive endocrine disorders (such as polycystic ovary syndrome and premature ovarian failure), abnormal menses and menopause.
For real-time updates please visit Facebook.com/TennesseeReproductiveMedicine or Twitter.com/FertilityAlert.