Washington [US], August 30: After a long history of avoiding issues related to abortion and reproductive rights, former President Donald Trump pledged to make in vitro fertilization services free if elected.
Former US President Donald Trump said on August 29 that if elected, he would protect access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and have the government or insurance companies pay for it.
"Under the Trump administration, we will pay for that treatment," he said in an exclusive interview with NBC, pledging that this would apply to "all Americans who get treatment, all Americans who need treatment."
"So we will pay for that treatment, or we will mandate that insurance companies pay for it. It will help men and women and families," he added.
IVF has become a major concern for politicians and voters alike over the past year, following a court ruling in the state of Alabama that frozen embryos and fertilized eggs are legally considered human beings and anyone who destroys them could be held liable for their deaths.
IVF services were largely halted in the state in response to the ruling, although lawmakers quickly passed legislation to address civil and criminal liability for IVF providers, allowing services to continue.
Mr Trump's campaign has largely avoided issues related to abortion and reproductive rights, as his anti-abortion stance has been unpopular with voters since the ruling guaranteeing abortion rights was overturned two years ago. Democrats have repeatedly criticized Mr Trump for this, after three of his Supreme Court appointees were among the six-member nine-judge majority who voted to overturn the ruling.
While infertility remains a common problem in the United States, many insurance companies or employers still do not cover treatments like IVF. According to the AP, a total of 54% of the largest US employers, those with 20,000 or more employees, covered IVF in 2022.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper