Americans are still waiting on Trump's pledge of IVF treatment for all

Source: CBS News

August 1, 2025 / 12:16 PM EDT



Washington — On the campaign trail, Donald Trump made a pledge: Under his leadership, in vitro fertilization would be covered for all women and couples seeking the treatment. "We are going to be paying for that treatment," he said in an interview in August 2024. After taking office, President Trump signed an executive order directing his domestic policy council to make recommendations on IVF policy changes by May. But that deadline has come and gone, and the White House has said little about the issue. Advocates for better IVF coverage are wondering what the holdup is.

Mr. Trump, who has called himself the "father of IVF" and claimed to be a "leader on fertilization, IVF," told NBC News, during that 2024 interview, that IVF would be covered for everyone who needs it. "Under the Trump administration, we are going to be paying for that treatment," Mr. Trump, then a candidate, said. He added, "We're going to be paying for that treatment, or we're gonna be mandating that the insurance company pay."

Mr. Trump's executive order, signed in February, fell short of his campaign pledge, stating that it would be administration policy "to ensure reliable access to IVF treatment, including by easing unnecessary statutory or regulatory burdens to make IVF treatment drastically more affordable."

He directed his assistant for the White House Domestic Policy Council to submit within 90 days "recommendations on protecting IVF access and aggressively reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatment." That deadline would have fallen on May 19. Asked for an update, the White House declined to comment.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-ivf-pledge-treatment-americans-waiting/