What is IVF? Trump once called himself 'father of IVF,' but has not released coverage plan

USA Today

2 days ago

Months after a deadline for policy recommendations to expand access to in vitro fertilization passed, the White House has not released any plans for the fertility treatment.
In February, Trump signed an executive order directing policy advisers to make recommendations on how to lower costs for IVF after promising to do so on the campaign trail. The order gave the Domestic Policy Council 90 days to do so, making the deadline May 19, according to CBS News.
On Aug. 3, the Washington Post reported that anonymous sources said the White House currently has no plan to provide or require coverage.
Trump once called himself the "father of IVF" during the campaign as he pledged to find ways to cover the cost of the treatment, either through government coverage or through a mandate on insurance companies. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for an update on the possible policy plans.
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What is IVF?
IVF is the process of combining a sperm and egg in a laboratory and transferring them to a uterus, commonly used to aid conception for someone with fertility issues. Advocates for the treatment were worried that access to the treatment could come under threat after the Dobbs decision in June 2022.
That fear was somewhat realized in February 2024 when the Alabama Supreme Court decided embryos had the legal status of children in a landmark case. The Alabama legislature later passed a bill to protect IVF patients and providers.
Why is IVF controversial?
Approximately 2% of births in the U.S. each year come from IVF pregnancies, and it can be a life-changing procedure for people experiencing infertility who want to start a family.
But the procedure is opposed by some religious groups, many conservative Christians, who argue that life begins the moment an egg is fertilized and that humans should leave procreation to God, not science.
When the first IVF baby was born in 1979, a coalition of anti-abortion groups spoke out against the procedure. But that was after the Roe v. Wade decision, so embryos were treated as private property that the respective egg and sperm donors could decide if they wanted to implant, destroy or pass on the embryo without consequence.
What has Trump said about IVF in the past?
Trump has long supported IVF, but surprised many conservatives on the campaign trail when he promised to require insurance companies or the government to cover costs associated with IVF.
'Under the Trump administration, your government will pay for – or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for – all costs associated with IVF treatment," Trump said at an event in August 2024. 'We want more babies, to put it very nicely.'
At a Fox News town hall in October, Trump called himself the "father of IVF," while promising coverage for the procedure, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Upon returning to the White House, Trump issued an executive order in February directing his policy advisers to make recommendations on how to lower the costs of the procedure. The order he signed had no immediate impact on the cost or access of the treatment.
'I've been saying we are going to do what we have to do and I think the women and families, husbands, are very appreciative of it,' Trump said of the order from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Contributing: Jessica Guynn, Bailey Schulz, Adrianna Rodriguez, Liam Adams, John Kennedy, Trevor Hughes, Riley Beggin, USA TODAY NETWORK
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [e-mail]. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.