WASHINGTON – President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday meant to begin fulfilling a campaign pledge to make in-vitro fertilization free for prospective parents.
“PROMISES MADE. PROMISES KEPT: President Trump just signed an Executive Order to Expand Access to IVF!” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tweeted.
“The Order directs policy recommendations to protect IVF access and aggressively reduce out-of-pocket and health plan costs for such treatments.”
The document requires the White House Domestic Policy Council, led by Vince Haley, to examine steps toward accomplishing the goal.
Trump pledged in August to make IVF “free” if he reclaimed power — as Democrats claimed that Republican opposition to abortion threatened access to the procedure.
“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 a rally in Michigan.
“We want more babies, to put it very nicely.”
It’s unclear exactly how much the initiative might cost the government — due in part to uncertainty about the precise terms of a possible reform — but experts say it could cost the government and insurance companies $7 billion annually.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
