Patients React: More Empty Promises from President Trump on IVF Amid Republican Health Care Crisis
Families have no reason to believe President Trump’s promises when it comes to health care
WASHINGTON, DC –– Today, President Trump announced a misleading new proposal related to IVF treatment, which accounts for up to 2.6% of births in the United States. As the Republican health care crisis stretches into its fifteenth day, today’s proposal amounts to little more than lip service for the Americans who have invested time and money into fertility treatments to grow their families.
Today’s announcement follows months of silence from the administration after falsely promising action to expand access to IVF treatment earlier this year. Instead, the administration has embraced fringe activists calling for "restorative reproductive medicine,” an ineffective alternative that experts call a "non-medical approach” to treating infertility.
The truth is that the self-proclaimed “father of IVF” continues to roll back access to all types of reproductive health care, threatening millions of families across the country.
Following today’s announcement, IVF patients from across the country expressed doubt about the President’s claims and shared how his administration’s attacks on reproductive freedom are affecting their families.
“Pregnancy has become more dangerous under Trump, and the reality is that many of the women impacted by abortion bans advanced by Trump and extremist lawmakers must now rely on IVF to grow their families because of the permanent physical damage done to their bodies after being denied necessary, sometimes lifesaving medical care,” said Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just. “Today’s announcement isn’t a ‘win’ for anyone – it’s an insult to the millions of families impacted by Trump’s deadly anti-health care agenda.”
“IVF is a long and grueling process on its own, and it’s hurtful to see so many of the same politicians made things harder on me and my family claim that they’re taking steps to help parents like us,” said Jamie Heard, a mother from Birmingham whose IVF treatment timeline was derailed in early 2024 when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos were children and that those who destroy them can be held liable for wrongful death. “People within the IVF community see right through the administration’s rhetoric and know better than to take these extremists at their word.”
“I am a mom today because of IVF and in spite of the efforts of people like President Trump and lawmakers here in Montana,” said Anne Angus, a Montana mother who was forced to travel out of state for abortion care after her baby was diagnosed with Eagle-Barrett syndrome. Seeking to prevent another fatal diagnosis, Angus and her husband chose to pursue IVF. “IVF gave me hope after a devastating loss, but make no mistake – I spent my entire treatment worrying that extremists would take away the care I relied on for a healthy pregnancy. We are not political pawns and our families deserve better.”
If you are interested in connecting with patients, providers, or advocates about today’s announcement and how the Trump administration’s attacks on reproductive freedom harm growing families, please contact Kelly Rimar (kelly@freeandjust.us).
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Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.