A new executive order signed by President Donald Trump aims to expand access to in vitro fertilization and make it more affordable.
The order directs the Domestic Policy Council to make policy recommendations to protect IVF access and “aggressively” reduce the associated costs for treatment. The policies should focus on ensuring reliable access to IVF and addressing areas that exacerbate the out-of-pocket and health plan costs associated with the care.
“These are treatments that have become unaffordable for many Americans,” Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary, said at a press conference Tuesday.
Infertility is not uncommon in the U.S., and many rely on IVF to start a family. IVF is often not fully covered by insurance, though a growing number of employers offer the benefit. About half of U.S. states mandate some type of coverage for some plans. Some federal employee health benefits programs cover the treatments.
Chamber of Mothers, a nonpartisan nonprofit advocating for maternal rights, praised the move. "We are happy to see this administration call attention to the important issue of access," Erin Erenberg, co-founder and CEO of the organization, said in a statement. "We're carefully watching what will happen next."
The topic came into tight focus in 2024 when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos were considered children under state law in a high-profile case. The ruling led providers in the state to pause IVF treatments out of fear of being sued. Reproductive rights advocates had previously cautioned that the overturning of Roe v. Wade cleared the way for such restrictions on IVF.
“We are saddened that this will impact our patients' attempt to have a baby through IVF, but we must evaluate the potential that our patients and our physicians could be prosecuted criminally or face punitive damages for following the standard of care for IVF treatments,” the University of Alabama at Birmingham health system said at the time.
Within weeks, Alabama's government passed a law that would give immunity to IVF patients and providers, though the treatments remained a talking point on the presidential campaign trail. Trump said IVF would be covered by the government or payers if he were reelected.
"I hope this administration will take the time to listen to the experiences of patients and health care providers across our country who can speak to the very real threat abortion bans post to fertility care and maternal health," Lauren Peterson, co-founder of Abortion in America, a platform documenting abortion stories, said in a statement. "You cannot meaningfully expand access to IVF while attacking access to abortion."
Despite statements in support of IVF, Senate Republicans blocked the Right to IVF Act in September, which would have protected access to the care and made it more affordable, claiming it was too broad.
Editor's Note: This story was updated on Feb. 19 with statements from various groups reacting to the executive order.