On Thursday, President Donald Trump unveiled two initiatives designed to enhance affordability and accessibility. This marks his administration’s most significant action yet on a topic that has divided conservatives and served as a major focus of his campaign’s outreach to women and families last year.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump stated that his administration would encourage employers to offer fertility benefits directly to their staff—much like dental or vision coverage. He also announced a new agreement with EMD Serono, the manufacturer of Gonal-F, one of the most widely used fertility drugs in the United States. According to Trump, the company committed to providing “significant discounts” on its fertility medications via the government’s TrumpRx.gov website, starting next year.

“With the actions I will outline this afternoon, we’ll drastically reduce the cost of IVF and many of the most common fertility drugs for millions of Americans,” Trump declared. “Prices are dropping significantly—very, very sharply.” He described the announcement as a “momentous triumph for American women, mothers, and families.”

The administration explained that the new Labor Department guidance would simplify the process for businesses, including small enterprises, to incorporate fertility coverage as an additional benefit, without needing to revise their main health insurance policies. The White House clarified that it is neither making participation compulsory nor offering subsidies to employers who opt to provide this coverage.

“With what we’ve enacted, Americans will now have the option to enroll in specialized coverage, just as they obtain vision and dental insurance, they can get fertility insurance for the first time,” Trump stated. He asserted that this fertility coverage “will lessen the number of individuals who eventually require IVF, as couples will be able to detect and resolve issues sooner.” 

“This will lead to healthier pregnancies, healthier infants, and a greater number of wonderful American children,” Trump further commented.

According to a report from KFF, a nonprofit research organization, only approximately large employers currently offer in vitro fertilization coverage, and very few states mandate insurance providers to cover fertility treatments. Although certain insurance policies already incorporate such benefits, the majority of patients bear the expense themselves for procedures that can range from $15,000 to $25,000 per cycle, frequently necessitating several attempts.

Trump indicated that the new drug pricing agreement would decrease the cost of Gonal-F and other fertility medications by up to 73%. EMD Serono announced in a statement that “eligible patients” would be able to acquire its fertility drugs with an 84% reduction from their standard list prices.

Nevertheless, it is still uncertain to what extent the reduced drug prices will lower the overall cost of IVF, given that medications constitute merely one part of the procedure. Patients are also responsible for expenses such as ultrasounds, anesthesia, lab services, and embryo storage—combined costs that can surpass $20,000 per cycle.

This announcement partially fulfills a campaign commitment Trump made in 2024, when he pledged that his administration would guarantee all Americans access to fertility treatment. In an interview with NBC News, he stated, “Under the Trump administration, we will be covering the cost of that treatment.” He added, “We’re going to mandate that insurance companies pay.”

Trump has consistently emphasized infertility as a family concern, presenting his strategy as a method to strengthen and enlarge American families. This matter gained renewed importance for Republicans last year after the Alabama Supreme Court declared that frozen embryos resulting from IVF should be regarded as children—a ruling that caused some clinics to halt services and compelled GOP leaders to clarify their stances. Trump promptly disassociated himself from the ruling and called on Alabama legislators to safeguard IVF access.

According to the World Health Organization, infertility impacts approximately of reproductive age individuals, and IVF is responsible for about in the United States.

While Trump’s declaration received commendation from some fertility advocates, others pointed out that the initiative heavily depends on employers voluntarily participating and does not ensure coverage for the most vulnerable. Critics also raised doubts about whether the discounts secured by the administration would genuinely reduce expenses for middle-income families who still need to cover other treatment components themselves.