In this eye-opening episode, Kerri talks with Ellen Gustafson, co-founder of the Military Family Building Coalition (MFBC), about the glaring gap in Tricare’s infertility coverage—and what it will actually take to change it.

Ellen shares her personal IVF journey, and how she and her co-founders launched MFBC with one bold goal: to solve the problem of fertility access for military families—and then shut their nonprofit down. Why? Because IVF and fertility care should be covered by Tricare, plain and simple.

This episode breaks down:

• Why Tricare’s current system is failing military families
• The bureaucratic hurdles keeping IVF and ART (assisted reproductive technology) out of covered care
• What it takes to get Congress to act: storytelling, grassroots advocacy, and pressure from organized voices
• The difference in fertility benefits between veterans and active duty (and why it’s still not enough)
• How MFBC creatively secures free fertility services for military members—like sperm preservation and care navigation

Together, Kerri and Ellen pull no punches: Tricare is outdated, the military’s message of “supporting families” is hollow without fertility coverage, and the burden of treatment costs (often exceeding $100K out-of-pocket) is pushing service members to the brink.

Policy change is possible—but only if military families, providers, and allies speak up. MFBC is connecting the dots between advocacy, access, and action.

🧠 Topics Covered:

• How Tricare ignores modern family-building needs
• Why “support the troops” rings hollow without real reproductive healthcare
• What Congress needs to hear to include IVF coverage
• Ellen’s journey through IVF as a military spouse
• Grassroots organizing in the military community
• Matching military families with free fertility services
• The goal: full coverage, no need for nonprofits

If you’re a military family affected by infertility—or an advocate ready to fight for reproductive justice—this episode will fuel your fire. Listen, share, and demand better from the system.

👉 Visit www.mindfulwarrioralliance.org to learn more, connect with our mission, or make a donation to support military families navigating infertility. Every dollar helps us fight for coverage, care, and change.