President Donald Trump has signed an executive order focused on making in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments more accessible for everyday Americans.
The directive gives the Domestic Policy Council 90 days to submit policy recommendations to the president on how to protect IVF access and reduce out-of-pocket and insurance costs for the fertility treatments.
“Today, many hopeful couples dream of starting a family, but as many as one in seven are unable to conceive a child. Despite their hopes and efforts, infertility struggles can make conception difficult, turning what should be a joyful experience into an emotional and financial struggle,” reads the Feb. 18 order.
“My Administration recognizes the importance of family formation, and as a Nation, our public policy must make it easier for loving and longing mothers and fathers to have children.”
The president signed the directive at his Palm Beach, Florida, residence of Mar-a-Lago before addressing reporters at a press conference.
“On [in vitro] fertilization, I’ve been saying that we’re going to do what we have to do, and I think the women, and families, husbands, are very appreciative of it,” Trump said.
“These are treatments that have become unaffordable for many Americans or have been unaffordable for many Americans,” White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf told reporters.
The Domestic Policy Council’s recommendations will prioritize addressing existing policies, “including those that require legislation,” that exacerbate the cost of IVF treatments, according to the White House.
Trump was a vocal defender of IVF on the campaign trail as access to the treatment was briefly interrupted in Alabama after that state’s Supreme Court ruled that embryos are babies.
