Updated Aug 29, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Trump says he wants to make IVF treatment free as president

April Rubin

Trump speaks at a lectern. The background is black. — Former President Trump speaks during the National Guard Association of the United States' 146th General Conference & Exhibition at Huntington Place Convention Center on Aug. 26 in Detroit, Michigan. Photo: Emily Elconin/Getty Images

Former President Trump said on Thursday that the cost of in vitro fertilization would be covered by the government or insurance companies for "all Americans that need it" if he is elected in November.

The big picture: The GOP presidential nominee said he'd mandate the coverage but didn't specify how his proposal would work.

"We're doing this because we just think it's great and we need great children, beautiful children in our country," Trump told NBC News.

Catch up quick: IVF has become a friction point in politics since Alabama's Supreme Court ruled that embryos were considered people.

After clinics paused IVF care, the GOP presidential nominee said he supported IVF availability.

Zoom out: IVF has become a top campaign issue for Democrats, who have linked Trump to restrictions on reproductive care.

Trump has bragged about appointing the three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade.

State of play: Washington, D.C., and 21 states have some form of fertility coverage.

The California Senate on Thursday voted to require more insurers to cover IVF.

Go deeper: Trump speaks to Christian group that wants to "eradicate" abortion

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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Trump says he wants to make IVF treatment free as president

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