WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday instructing the federal government to increase access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and decrease related costs. The order requires the Domestic Policy Council to deliver policy suggestions within 90 days to ensure IVF access and greatly reduce out-of-pocket costs and health plan expenses.
“It is the policy of my Administration to secure equal access to IVF treatment, including by relieving unnecessary statutory or regulatory burdens to make IVF treatment substantially more affordable,” the order says.
Today, the majority of states do not mandate coverage for IVF, a treatment in which eggs and sperm are mixed in a lab to produce an embryo for couples who are having trouble conceiving. Even with insurance, IVF is $12,000 to $25,000 per cycle, and several cycles might be required for a successful pregnancy.
The U.S. birth rate fell 3% in 2023 compared to 2022 and saw a 2% average decline between 2014 and 2020. In 2022, the birth rate was 1.67 births for each woman, which is below the 2.1 required to keep the population even without immigration.
During his campaign, Trump promised to make the government or insurance providers pay for all IVF treatments. The executive order, though intended to lower the cost, does not indicate how the money will be funded. The cost implication is unclear but could cost the government and insurance providers $7 billion every year.
IVF became a point of contention in the 2024 presidential election when the Alabama Supreme Court declared that embryos are children, causing legal ambiguities regarding the storage, transportation, and utilization of embryos. The decision prompted some IVF patients to think about moving their frozen embryos out of the state.
Senate Republicans twice rejected Democratic-led bills aimed at safeguarding IVF access last year, with some using the argument it was not needed since that was not under threat.
The executive order also instructs the government to examine existing policies that could drive up IVF prices, such as those that need legislative updates. The administration hopes to make IVF treatments more affordable and available for families grappling with infertility.
