ONE OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED THIS PAST WEEK SEEKS POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO IN VITRO FERTILIZATION.

ACCORDING TO A 2024 SURVEY, ONE IN TEN WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE SAY THEY HAVE RECEIVED FERTILITY ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING IVF.

BUT INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR THE PROCEDURE IS LIMITED, AND PAYING OUT OF POCKET IS OUT OF REACH FOR MANY FAMILIES.

ALI ROGIN SPOKE WITH BARBARA COLLURA, WHO IS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF RESOLVE, THE NATIONAL INFERTILITY ASSOCIATION, WHICH ADVOCATES FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING CHALLENGES BUILDING FAMILIES.

ALI: THANKS FOR JOINING US.

I WANTED TO PLAY YOU WHAT THEN CANDIDATE TRUMP SAID ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL ABOUT IVF.

PRES.

TRUMP: UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WE WILL BE PAYING FOR THAT TREATMENT SO WE ARE PAYING FOR THAT TREATMENT.

>> ALL AMERICANS WHO WANT IT?

PRES.

TRUMP: ALL AMERICANS THAT NEED IT OR WE ARE GOING TO MANDATE THE INSURANCE COMPANY PAY.

ALI: HOW DOES THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER STUCK UP THE C CPAIGN PLEDGE?

BARBARA: WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID THAT WE DID NOT HAVE DETAIL AND WERE NOT SURE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.

WHEN THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER CAME OUT IT SIMPLY CALLS FOR POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS TO BE PROVIDED TO THE WHITE HOUSE WITHIN 90 DAYS.

THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER DOES NOT FULFILL THAT CAMPAIGN PROMISE, BUT WE LOOK AT THIS AS A FIRST STEP.

ALI: WHAT ARE BARRIERS WOMEN FACE, PARENTS FACE, WHEN TRYING TO ACCESS IVF?

BARBARA: ABOUT 1/3 OF INFERTILITY IS DUE TO MALE FACTORS SO IT IS BOTH A MALE AND FEMALE ISSUE.

THIS IS HIGHLY SKILLED MEDICAL TREATMENT.

NOT EVERYBODY NEEDS IVY OF - -IVF, BUT THOSE WHO DO IT IS AN INTENSE PROCESS.

IT IS MEDICALLY TAXING ON YOUR BODY, IT TAKES A TOLL ON YOUR EMOTIONS.

IT IS SOMETHING A LOT OF PEOPLE PAY FOR OUT-OF-POCKET.

HEALTH INSURANCE DOES NOT COVER IT SO THEY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR THIS OUT OF SAVINGS OR OTHER MEANS.

IT IS SOMETHING THAT ENCOMPASSES YOUR WHOLE LIFE.

ALI: WHY DO INSURANCE PROVIDERS TEND NOT TO TREAT IVF THE SAME THEY DO OTHER MEDICAL TREATMENTS?

BARBARA: I WISH I KNEW WERE THIS HAS BEEN OUR BATTLE SINCE IVF STARTED IN 1981.

RESOLVE HAS BEEN ADVOCATING FOR IVF COVERAGE SINCE THEN AND WE HAVE GOTTEN SOME LAWS PASSED IN A FEW STATES, BUT IT IS A LONG HAUL.

INSURANCE COMPANIES VIEW THIS AS ELECTIVE WHICH IS DISGUSTING TO THINK ABOUT YOUR REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM AND A DESIRE TO REPRODUCE AND HAVE A CHILD AS BEING ELECTED.

THIS IS A CONTINUOUS BATTLE WE FACE AT THE STATE LEVEL WITH EMPLOYERS AND AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

ALI: THIS EXECUTIVE ORDERS ASKING FOR POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS TO INCREASE ACCESS AND LOWER COSTS.

WHAT WOULD RESOLVE ADVISE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO DO?

BARBARA: THE GOOD NEWS, WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME.

THERE'S ALREADY VERY EFFECTIVE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS SITTING IN CONGRESS RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE SEVERAL PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS SUPPORTED, SOME, QUITE HONESTLY, FOR A DECADE OR MORE, WHERE, IT WOULD COVER PEOPLE IN THE MILITARY.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THEY DON'T HAVE FULL ACCESS TO IVF.

IT WOULD COVER OUR VETERANS, FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, AND THEN IT WOULD ALSO COVER PEOPLE WITH PRIVATE INSURANCE.

WE ALSO HAVE SOME ISSUES WITH THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, AND PEOPLE WHO GET THEIR INSURANCE THROUGH THOSE EXCHANGES ARE LEFT OUT OF CARE.

SO WE HAVE ALREADY SOLVED AND DONE ALL THE HARD WORK ON THESE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS.

I JOKED MY STAFF, WE DON'T NEED 90 DAYS.

WE'VE ALREADY FIGURED THIS OUT AS PATIENT ADVOCATES, AS AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S BEEN DOING THIS WITH PARTNERS, IN OUR SPACE THE PHYSICIANS AND OTHERS WHO'VE , BEEN WORKING AT THIS FOR A LONG TIME.

ALI: AT THE SAME TIME PRESIDENT TRUMP IS PUTTING OUT THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER THERE ARE EFFORTS ON THE STATE LEVEL THAT GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

IN ALABAMA THE SUPREME COURT RULED THAT FROZEN EMBRYOS THAT WERE UNUSED, IN THE COURSE OF IVF WERE CHILDREN.

SO IS THIS GOING TO SET UP A CLASH BETWEEN FEDERAL AND STATE EFFORTS WHEN IT COMES TO IVF?

BARBARA: IT IS INTERESTING YOU BRING THIS UP TO READ YOU COULD THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN ALABAMA VERY DIFFERENTLY FROM IVF INSURANCE, AND IT'S ACTUALLY INTERRELATED.

WE LOOK AT OUR WORK AS PROTECTING ACCESS TO IVF AS WELL AS EXPANDING ACCESS THROUGH INSURANCE COVERAGE.

WHY GO TO ALL THAT EFFORT AND WORK TO EXPAND ACCESS TO IVF, IN OTHER WORDS GETTING MORE INSURANCE, WHEN IT IS NOT EVEN PROTECTED?

WE SEE THIS AS GOING HAND IN HAND.

WE'D LOVE TO SEE FEDERAL PROTECTIONS, THAT WAY WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A STATE DOING SOMETHING AND THEN, GET THIS INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR EVERYBODY.

ALI: BARBABA COLLURA, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF RESOLVE, THE NATIONAL INFERTILITY ASSOCIATION, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

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