Experts, Democrats, and Republicans are skeptical about Trump's proposal to make IVF free.

• All women who need in vitro fertilization treatments should have them covered by former President Donald Trump.
• Trump's plan to repeal and replace Obamacare faces skepticism from health care experts.
• Finding support in Congress, meanwhile, could be exceptionally difficult.

Donald Trump, the former president, has stated that he intends to make in vitro fertilization treatments accessible at no cost, either through mandating insurance coverage or by providing federal funding.

At a campaign rally in Michigan on Aug. 29, Trump stated, "To put it delicately, we desire more babies."

Although Trump and his campaign have not provided details on how to pay for the fertility treatments, his support has brought the issue to the forefront of the presidential race, with both Trump and Vice President Harris competing for the votes of politically engaged women.

Experts doubt Trump can implement a free IVF policy without Congress's support, and gaining Republican backing for it may be challenging.

Alina Salganicoff, a senior vice president and the director of the Women's Health Policy Program at KFF, stated that the executive's unilateral ability is quite restricted.

To mandate insurers to cover IVF, Congress would need to pass legislation, according to Salganicoff. Alternatively, there is the possibility of persuading a panel of experts to include IVF under the list of fully covered women's preventative services under the Affordable Care Act. However, this option presents several challenges, including the fact that Trump has attempted to repeal the ACA.

Sabrina Corlette, co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy, stated that it would be challenging for members of Congress to justify making a single treatment like IVF free.

"What about chemotherapy, insulin, or any other life-saving services?" she inquired.

Allocating funds for government-funded IVF would necessitate an act of Congress. The cost of such a program would likely be staggering, according to experts.

The cost of a single IVF cycle is over $23,000, as per FertilityIQ. For many women, four or more cycles are needed for a successful birth.

Corlette expressed worry that insurers might pass on the additional costs of IVF treatments to consumers if they were mandated to cover them.

Corlette stated that the service being discussed is costly, and removing financial obstacles to it would undoubtedly increase premiums.

Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign's national press secretary, stated that Trump supports universal access to contraception and IVF. However, Leavitt did not provide details on how this would be funded.

Salganicoff stated that one of the possible reasons why Harris, who advocates for women's reproductive rights, hasn't presented a similar proposal could be due to her position.

Salganicoff stated that he believes the Harris campaign understands the intricacies involved.

Bakari Sellers, a former congressman and ally of Harris, questioned whether Trump's statements about IVF should be considered a policy proposal.

Sellers stated on CNBC that it is a preposterous suggestion to inquire about Kamala Harris pursuing Donald Trump on any reproductive rights-related issue.

Sellers stated that the one sentence he shared about IVF was not a policy, but rather an unvetted idea.

Trump's campaign hasn't released any formal proposal on covering the costs of IVF, despite his comments about doing so.

The 2024 GOP platform could effectively ban IVF nationwide, according to Sarafina Chitika, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign. Chitika highlighted the platform's call for states to establish fetal personhood.

"Kamala Harris is the only candidate in this race who trusts women and will protect our freedom to make our own health care decisions, as Trump's overturning of Roe v. Wade has already put IVF under attack and ripped away women's freedoms in states across the country," Chitika said.

In June, Senate Republicans prevented legislation from passing that would ensure women's access to IVF treatments. At the same time, only 39% of Republicans believed it was morally acceptable to destroy the embryos created through IVF, according to a Gallup poll conducted in the same month.

Experts predicted that Trump may face opposition from his own party in implementing a universal IVF program.

Trump's plan for health insurance regulation may face opposition from the GOP's history of lax regulations, according to Corlette.

She stated that they have all been advocating for decreasing the requirements on insurance providers.