How new Presidential Executive Orders might change the Fertility field
On February 18, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order calling for an expansion to access to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). “Today, many hopeful couples dream of starting a family, but as many as one in seven are unable to conceive a child. Despite their hopes and efforts, infertility struggles can make conception difficult, turning what should be a joyful experience into an emotional and financial struggle,” the order states. “My Administration recognizes the importance of family formation, and as a Nation, our public policy must make it easier for loving and longing mothers and fathers to have children.”
It’s a rare bipartisan issue that most can agree on, says Nick Schemmel, Lead Federal Government Affairs and Policy at Organon, a global healthcare company committed to supporting aspiring parents along their fertility journey through expanding resources and access to IVF care and investing in innovative fertility options. Pew Research data supports this, showing seven in ten Americans agree with expanding IVF access.
But it will take much more than an executive order — Schemmel points to necessary changes in access to providers, and a strong supply chain as well.
The executive order’s requests
The heart of the order is about “easing unnecessary statutory or regulatory burdens” for a service that the White House states is typically $12,000 to $25,000 per cycle. The executive order doesn’t immediately change any access. Instead, it calls for the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy to submit to the President policy recommendations on “protecting IVF access and aggressively reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatment.”
“I think this is a very positive move by President Trump and considered another step forward in that process towards better access,” Schemmel says. “The Administration has the opportunity to dive in and hear ideas from people in this space and generate positions from there, rather than the other way around.
Who the order will help
Aside from the average American hoping for easier access, both logistically and financially, Schemmel says this order could add to the more than 20 states that already have statewide access measures in place. But he says this order can give more attention to some specific groups needing more access to IVF. “It’s not just IVF, it’s progress for fertility preservation, iatrogenic infertility, some of the causes around infertility, underlying diseases, making sure that women have a better diagnosis of infertility, and they at least have more of a chance and a drive to have doctors make that diagnosis.”
Expanded access could also help specific groups like DoD/Tricare/active-duty services members, veterans, and federal employees, he says.
What needs to happen next
It’s one thing to have a government order, and another to have the infrastructure in place to support increased interest in IVF.
Schemmel says Organon has the supply ready to accommodate a rise in need for medications and additional services, but the rest of the supply chain has to be ready too. “Our focus is on making sure we are ready to support women and people who need these treatments. Since we spun off of Merck in 2021, we continue to cement our supply chain to ensure patient access.” He says there has been a demand increase for products with fertility clinics, for reproductive endocrinologists, and at other points in the care timeline.
Dr. Serena H Chen, a fertility doctor (Director for the Division of Reproductive Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, and the Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science at Saint Barnabas, and is a Clinical Associate Professor at Rutgers, UMDNJ Medical School and the St George’s University School of Medicine.) in New Jersey says physicians are ready for some increased demand but they need to continue to increase capacity. “There are not enough new fellows being trained in REI. It is not totally clear why we are not addressing this issue. Advanced Practice Providers can fill some of these gaps but not all. Technology continues to provide innovative new ways for us to more efficiently see more patients.
However, the more successful IVF access becomes, fewer patients may need to access specialists. “As access and education and awareness improve that will increase demand but with patients accessing appropriate treatment earlier, pregnancy rates should be higher, which will decrease volume,” she says.
Solutions
Chen is looking partially at insurance to improve access. “We can start by requiring all insurance providers to cover IVF for infertility as outlined by ASRM guidelines. IVF is the standard of care, safe, cost-effective and effective healthcare for a devastating condition that impacts millions in the US,” she says. “Why doesn’t commercial health insurance cover standard of care healthcare? Why does it require a government mandate to force health insurance companies to provide health insurance?”
Tax credits, different coverage components, and other varying proposals exist, Schemmel says, but everyone is working toward the same objective — “how can we help people who pursue these treatments so they can grow their families and have more children..”
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