Trump’s IVF Coverage Goals Confront Congress, Industry Limits

President Donald Trump’s attempt to expand in vitro fertility treatments could create legislative, legal, and financial challenges if the administration mandates coverage for private employers and health plans.

Trump’s Feb. 18 executive order requires the domestic policy adviser to draft “a list of policy recommendations on protecting IVF access and aggressively reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs.” A single IVF cycle runs between $14,000 and $20,000 on average, according to ARC Fertility.

Unlike with the federal workforce, Trump has limited authority over health-care benefits in the private sector, and would need buy-in from Congress for any widespread company directives, which ...