Sen. Lindsey Graham on Sunday dismissed former President Donald Trump’s proposal to provide free nationwide in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, warning that it would lead to an overwhelming demand.
When asked on ABC News’ “This Week” whether he supported the idea of insurance companies and the federal government covering the costs, Graham (R-SC) replied, “No, I wouldn’t because there’s no end to that.”
He added, “I would support a tax credit, means-tested—kind of like we do with children. That makes sense to me to encourage people to have children,” Graham told ABC’s Jonathan Karl.
Trump, 78, announced his plan for government-funded or insurance-mandated coverage of IVF treatments during a rally in Michigan last Thursday, telling supporters, “Under the Trump administration, your government will pay for—or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for—all costs associated with IVF treatment. We want more babies, to put it very nicely. And for the same reason, we will also allow new parents to deduct major newborn expenses from their taxes.”
Even if insurance companies bear more of the financial burden than the federal government, the increased costs are likely to be passed on to taxpayers through higher premiums. IVF treatments typically cost between $15,000 to $20,000 per cycle, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with over 400,000 procedures conducted in 2021, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Experts previously told The Post that this policy could cost up to $7 billion per year, though it remains unclear how a second Trump administration would implement such a program. Vanessa Brown Calder, director of Opportunity and Family Policy Studies at the libertarian Cato Institute, warned that even the multi-billion-dollar estimate “understates the true long-term costs of the program.”
“Most IVF patients are currently self-pay, which limits IVF use,” Calder explained. “Moreover, government-funded IVF would create new incentives for couples to delay childbearing or engage in elective fertility preservation, leading to growing use and reliance on fertility treatment long-term.”
Some legislative paths for government-funded IVF coverage have already been proposed. A House bill introduced by Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) in June could require insurance companies to classify infertility as a covered medical condition, or Congress could amend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to include IVF coverage.
Trump could also issue an executive order to extend cost-free IVF treatments to all federal workers, military members, and veterans, though such a move would likely face legal challenges.
IVF has become a contentious issue since the Alabama Supreme Court’s February decision that ruled embryos created through medical intervention are unborn children. This ruling has led to concerns over the fate of extra embryos, which may be frozen, donated, or discarded.
In response, Alabama passed a law granting criminal and civil immunity to IVF clinics. Senate Democrats held a vote on the Right to IVF Act in June, which aimed to codify the right to access these treatments, but it was blocked by Republicans.
While Democrats argued that IVF protections are necessary following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, Republicans dismissed the vote as a political gesture. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) claimed the Right to IVF Act would infringe on religious liberties, and other Senate Republicans noted that the procedure is already legal in all 50 states. Britt later introduced an alternative IVF bill, which Senate Democrats blocked.
Two months earlier, Graham also drew Trump’s criticism by proposing a 15-week federal abortion ban. Trump expressed his frustration on Truth Social, saying, “The Democrats are thrilled with Lindsey, because they want this issue to simmer for as long a period of time as possible.”
Following the overturning of Roe, Trump and most Republicans have argued that the abortion issue should be left to the states.
