Chicago- May 24, 2025
Trump told media on the campaign trail last year that if he is elected, his administration would work to make IVF paid for by either the government or insurance companies. The proposal came amid broader political conflict on family policies and abortion in 2024, after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos were considered people under state law, forcing pauses in IVF care before legislators passed a new law.
After he took office, Trump signed an executive order in February asking for a list of policy recommendations on “protecting IVF access and aggressively reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatment.” That 90-day deadline came and went Monday. The White House has not provided an estimate on when it will release its findings.
Details about the discussions that took place over the last 90 days from fertility professionals suggest the talks have been wide-ranging — including those who are eager for the administration to take immediate action to open up access to expensive fertility treatments, as well as some who cautioned the White House away from focusing on IVF.
“As exciting as the executive order was … it doesn’t have any actual actions in it,” said TJ Farnsworth, president of Fertility Providers Alliance.
In a statement to CNN, White House spokesperson Kush Desai said, “Expanding IVF access for everyday Americans who have been struggling to start families is a key priority for President Trump. The Administration’s close coordination with outside stakeholder groups across the political spectrum to inform our IVF access plan reflects our commitment to delivering on this priority for the American people.”
The inclusion of groups opposed to IVF and the administration’s elimination of the team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that tracked the use and success of the procedure have alarmed some groups in the space, including major advocacy groups who were not invited to meet with the White House.
