Yesterday, President Trump announced novel actions that will result in the expansion of in vitro fertilization (IVF) access. This announcement comes in response to a February executive order, Expanding Access to In Vitro Fertilization, expressing the president’s intent to lower the cost and reduce barriers to IVF.
President Trump’s new IVF policy includes two major components:
- Reduced drug prices: Publicized a deal with a leading drug manufacturer to bring down American drug prices for commonly used fertility medications.
- Fertility insurance coverage: Created the option of standalone insurance coverage for fertility benefits under employer-sponsored health plans, similar to existing models for vision or dental insurance.
White House officials have explained that there will not be an IVF mandate or direct government subsidies for IVF. This means that the taxpayer will not directly bear the brunt of the cost.
Senior Policy Manager Katy Roberts, responded to the announcement:
“While nothing in the White House’s new IVF policy is cemented in permanent law, these actions are significant. The consequentialist approach of engineering drug prices and offering optional insurance coverage will shape both consumer and market behavior related to IVF, surely leading to rapidly increased participation in a practice that should be approached with serious hesitation.
Rather than implicitly pressuring the public to use IVF, the government should prioritize promoting interventions that address and heal the causes of infertility—something that the Trump administration’s new insurance coverage option will rightly achieve, in part.
The desire to build a family is God-given, biblical, and beautiful. The struggle of infertility is real, and something to sincerely lament, as well as something to bring to God in prayer. This does not justify the national endorsement and incentivization of a medical practice which is largely unregulated and creates human life en masse with no plan to bring all precious lives to term.”
As the Trump administration begins publishing agency guidance and soliciting public comments, the ERLC plans to outline Southern Baptists’ concerns about the ethical considerations of IVF.
How you can pray
With the implementation of these policies, in vitro fertilization will be more accessible, making discernment about its use more challenging than ever before. Join us in asking the Lord to give wisdom to those evaluating the use of IVF in desiring to grow their families.
