White House Stalls on Controversial IVF Promises Amid Conservative Criticism
President Donald Trump is not expected to make health insurance plans cover in-vitro fertilization, also known as IVF, although he may still advance federal policies designed to encourage the procedure.
Trump had signed an executive order earlier this year asking for “policy recommendations to protect IVF access and aggressively reduce out-of-pocket and health plan costs for such treatments.”
Two unnamed sources familiar with the administration’s discussions on IVF said that Trump will not proceed with the plan to issue an insurance mandate, according to a Sunday report from The Washington Post.
The outlet noted that there have been no substantial IVF policies recommended more than six months into the second Trump turn.
The unnamed sources added that officials are staying away from proposals extending IVF coverage to those enrolled in Obamacare.
One senior official told The Washington Post that IVF is still a “huge priority” for Trump, but noted that he cannot issue a mandate for insurers without help from Congress.
“President Trump pledged to expand access to fertility treatments for Americans who are struggling to start families,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told the outlet.
“The Administration is committed like none before it to using its authorities to deliver on this pledge.”
Trump had vowed on the campaign trail last year to increase access for IVF, which entails combining a sperm and egg in a laboratory setting before implanting the embryo into the mother or surrogate.
“The government is going to pay for it, or we’re going to get — we’ll mandate your insurance company to pay for it, which is going to be great. We’re going to do that,” Trump said last August, per The Washington Post.
“We want to produce babies in this country, right?”
Despite the allusions to improving lackluster birth rates, the campaign promises and the executive order provoked concern from many conservative Christians, who note that IVF often entails discarding, aborting, or freezing embryos conceived in the process.
“President Trump just objectively made his worst decision since taking office,” conservative sports commentator Jon Root said earlier this year after the executive order was announced.
“IVF is evil, unethical & radically anti-life.”
“Babies should be the most protected persons in our society,” writer Samuel Sey added.
“Instead, because of IVF and abortion, they are the most exploited and murdered persons.”
Beyond the ethical issues arising from IVF practices, some Republicans also noted the budgetary concerns of federally funding IVF or requiring insurers to cover the practice.
The executive order said that IVF can cost between $12,000 and $25,000 per cycle.
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