Washington DC - President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a plan aimed at making in vitro fertilization more affordable, an initial step in a long-touted campaign promise.

Earlier this year Trump dubbed himself the "fertilization president," while also signing an executive order directing his administration to explore ways of making IVF more accessible.

Substantive coverage of fertility-related procedures and medications in the US remains rare and highly variable depending on specific patients, providers, employers, and state rules.

It was unclear what concrete changes the initiative could lead to. But Trump said in Oval Office remarks that "prices are going way down. Way, way down."

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Trump said the White House is proposing a so-called employer benefit option they say would encourage employers to offer workers coverage for IVF through a supplemental plan.

That would be similar to how dental and vision care are carved out of the core medical insurance plans and covered as standalone programs.

"I'm asking all employers to make these new fertility benefit options available to their employees immediately," Trump said.

Senior administration officials told journalists there was no discussion of creating subsidies that would incentivize employers to provide IVF benefits, nor was it mandating they do so.

A typical round of IVF treatment can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Patients usually have to endure multiple rounds to achieve a viable pregnancy, while prescription drug costs alone can set back hopeful parents by the thousands.

The Trump administration's announcement included a proposal to make some of those drugs available for patients to purchase directly from manufacturers at discounted rates, via the president's new website TrumpRx, starting in early 2026.

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Trump side-stepped the issue of opposition from Christian conservatives, who reject IVF primarily because it can involve discarding human embryos.

"I think this is very pro-life," he said. "You can't get more pro-life than this."

About a quarter of US employers with 200 workers or more currently offer health plans that include at least some IVF coverage, according to the KFF health policy research organization.