WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Katie Britt stood alongside President Donald Trump Thursday as he announced two new measures to expand access to in vitro fertilization, an issue Britt has championed.
Trump said Drugmaker EMD Serono, the largest fertility drug manufacturer in the world, will reduce the costs of common fertility medications. As part of the agreement, the drug manufacturer will list the medications online at TrumpRx.gov at “very, very heavily reduced prices.” The planned government website announced earlier this month will allow people to buy drugs directly from manufacturers.
“We want to make it easier for all couples to have babies, raise children, and start the families they’ve always dreamed about,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
On Thursday, Trump credited Britt with bringing IVF access to his attention on the campaign trail after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that frozen embryos are the legal equivalent of children. Gov. Kay Ivey then signed a law protecting doctors from legal liability that resumed IVF services in the state.
“She’s the first one that told me about this,” Trump said about Britt. “I had not known too much about it, and we worked very rapidly together, didn’t we?”
Britt recounted the conversation she had with Trump after the Alabama ruling.
“I was able to tell the president some of the stories of people, friends and grandparents and relatives that told me what they had experienced, and also, what they were fearful of in the future, and the president very quickly acted,” she said.
The Alabama Republican praised Trump for celebrating “life” and for taking steps to address IVF affordability.
“The recommendations today that President Trump has set forth are going to expand IVF coverage to nearly a million more families, and they’re going to drive down costs significantly,” Britt said in remarks.
Prices for IVF treatment can range from $12,000 to $25,000 per cycle, according to a White House fact sheet.
The White House also issued new federal guidance for employers to encourage them to offer fertility treatment benefits. Employees could opt into specialized coverage for fertility treatments, like they do for vision or dental insurance, Trump said.
“I’m asking all employers to make these new fertility benefit options available to their employees immediately,” the president said.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimated women can save up to $2,200 per cycle of fertility drugs with the new deal to lower drug prices, according to the White House.
In February, Trump signed an executive order aimed at lowering the cost of IVF and expanding access. Britt told Alabama Daily News at the time that she was “thrilled” about the White House’s efforts to address the affordability of IVF. Trump also promised on the campaign trail that he would make IVF free for Americans, which has yet to happen.