CNN

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed a significant executive order aimed at creating policy recommendations to enhance both accessibility and affordability of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

According to the executive order, the assistant to the president for domestic policy is required to provide a list of recommendations within 90 days. These suggestions will focus on safeguarding access to IVF and significantly lowering both out-of-pocket expenses and costs covered by health plans for IVF treatments.

The order emphasizes, “My Administration is committed to ensuring dependable access to IVF treatments, including the removal of unnecessary statutory and regulatory barriers that restrict affordability.”

During an event at Mar-a-Lago, Trump remarked, “I believe that women, families, and their partners will truly appreciate this initiative,” although cameras did not record the signing of the order.

As part of his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump has referred to himself as the “father of IVF” during a Fox News town hall targeting an all-female audience. He vowed to implement policies to cover in vitro fertilization costs, without detailing the payment mechanisms.

“Today, I am making a major announcement that the government under my administration will pay for, or mandate insurance coverage for, all expenses related to IVF treatments,” he stated at a Michigan campaign rally in August, as reported in a related article.

Following a controversial ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court in 2024 that classified frozen embryos as children, leading to widespread outrage, Trump and various Republican figures have voiced their support for IVF access, recognizing its growing importance as a political matter in the presidential campaign.

The Alabama Supreme Court’s decision, which held that destroying or damaging frozen embryos could result in wrongful death claims, raised concerns among critics about potential negative impacts on infertility treatments. In response, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation providing civil and criminal immunity to patients and treatment providers.

Trump has distanced himself from the ruling, maintaining that he “strongly” favors “the availability of IVF for couples” and urged Alabama legislators to swiftly devise solutions to ensure the continuity of the procedure within the state.

Although Trump has promised to improve access to IVF treatments, congressional Republicans have not committed to ensuring nationwide availability for the procedure.

In June, Senate Republicans rejected a Democratic bill that aimed to expand IVF access, deeming the measure unnecessary and a mere political maneuver. Last year, Republican lawmakers proposed their own IVF and contraception legislation, but none of these bills advanced through Congress.

This report includes contributions from CNN’s Clare Foran and Ted Barrett.