From ArmyTimes.com
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/09/military-senate-panel-oks-fertility-help-for-wounded-troops-091212w/

A Senate committee has approved providing fertility counseling and treatment, as well as adoption benefits, to veterans with traumatic injuries that affect their reproductive organs.

The landmark policy change would cover artificial insemination and, if necessary, surrogacy so that service-connected wounds are not a barrier to having a family.

Benefits are aimed at the 1,800 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who have suffered spinal cord injuries or devastating wounds, mostly from improvised explosive devices, to their reproductive organs.

Fertility treatments are included in S 3313, the Women Veterans and Other Health Care Improvement Act of 2012, passed by the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Sept. 12 by voice vote after extended debate over whether surrogacy should be covered.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the veterans’ committee chairwoman and chief sponsor of the bill, said including surrogacy as a covered medical treatment is the only way to ensure that a woman who suffers severe wounds to her reproductive organs would have benefits equal to a male veteran. “We cannot treat one veteran better than the next,” she said.

“This bill would help injured veterans and their spouses make real the dream of starting a family,” Murray said. “Expanding these treatments to veterans is the right thing to do. It is what our veterans deserve.”

With surrogacy and adoption benefits, the planned Veterans Affairs Department program would be broader than the limited fertility treatments the Defense Department offers to service members.

This difference prompted Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, ranking Republican on the veterans’ committee, to call for a review of the Defense Department plan before moving ahead with the Senate bill.

Murray wasn’t persuaded to wait for a review of defense health programs, but her bill is not moving forward anytime soon. One of six veterans’ bills approved by the committee, none of the measures had been reviewed by the Congressional Budget Office to determine either their full effect or their price tags.

Murray said the necessary funding will be found before the measure is formally reported to the full Senate, but she warned that this behind-the-scenes work may not be finished before Congress takes a pre-election break.

Burr said the fact that the costs of the bills are not covered is yet another reason why committee action could have been put off until November.

Resolve has developed a questionnaire, “Surrogacy Questions to Ask” , for the Intended Parents researching how to build their family with the help of a Surrogate Mother. We found the list to be an excellent resource and decided to answer them for our readers as well. Do remember that these answers are based on our specific Gestational Surrogacy Program.

Check out our responses to these questions here and please feel free to ask us anything else that you are curious about. You can reach us at [email protected].

I made a new friend today. Well, I guess we have been “friends” for a long while, but considering she is a little less than 2 years old now, she doesn’t remember when we first met.

She walked into Starbucks and we immediately made eye contact. She moved behind her mom’s skirt and looked up at her parents wondering why tears had filled their eyes. Why was this woman making my mom cry? I was sure that was one of many questions she had running through her mind. Her Dad said to me, “Give her 5 minutes and she will be your friend.” I am pleased to say that it was less than 5 minutes and she was in my lap giving me kisses and speaking to me in a language that I suspect only other toddlers know. But, this time with her brought me so much joy.

Her parents and I spoke about the journey that brought her in to this world with the help of their wonderful Surrogate Mother, Amber. It seemed like it was only yesterday that they were waiting for her arrival. After our nice visit, we went to see Dr. Cassidenti about bringing a brother or sister into this little girl’s life. And with the help of their new Surrogate Mother, Jennifer, who is an absolute gem, we hope to have good news for this little family in the coming weeks. Keep your fingers crossed!