Newsmax v. NBC News: Trump Says IVF Costs will be Covered
- At a rally on Thursday in Potterville, Michigan, Trump said that the federal government will mandate insurance companies to cover all costs related to IVF.
- Trump stated that the reason for this is "because we want more babies”
- Using this same logic, parents will also be allowed to deduct major newborn expenses from their taxes
- In February, Alabama's Supreme Court ruled that embryos created through IVF are considered children.
- Democrats have used the Alabama court’s decision to pose Republicans as “a threat to women's reproductive rights"
- Trump and other Republican leaders have criticized this court decision.
- Trump stated that the costs associated with IVF are exorbitant.
- According to Forbes, A single IVF cycle can cost between $15,000 to $30,000
- Referring to himself and the republican party, Trump stated "We're pro-family”.
- Trump stated that he’s “been in favor of IVF right from the beginning” but that Democrats say he doesn’t like it.
- Trump said that "By comparison, they're against it. But I'm totally in favor of it.”
- Trump stated that many families who can’t access IVF have been hurt by the Democrat-caused inflation.
- "It will help families because a lot of families can't use it, and a lot of these same families have been hurt so badly by their inflation. They caused the inflation, and we are going to pay for the IVF treatments. We're going to pay for it and take care of it."
- Since the Supreme Court ended the federal right to abortions in June 2022, the Republican Party has taken a more moderate stance on this issue.
- Trump is in favor of a 15-week limit.
- Trump has denied claims made by Harris and Democrats that he is in favor of a nationwide federal abortion ban.
- Trump reportedly said he will vote for the proposed Amendment 4 in Florida which would overturn the state’s six-week abortion ban and instead restrict abortions before fetal viability.
- Trump stated, “I want more than six weeks. And in Florida, we have a six-week program. And that's what I believe that you're voting on, and I think it should be more than six weeks”.
- In an interview with NBC News on Thursday in Potterville, Michigan, Trump stated that if elected, his administration would protect access to IVF and also have the costs associated with the treatment be paid for by either the government or insurance companies.
- Abortion and IVF have been political liabilities for the Republican Party this year.
- According to a statement made by a spokesperson for the Harris campaign:
- Trump’s “platform could effectively ban IVF and abortion nationwide”.
- IVF and women’s freedoms are already threatened due to Trump overturning Roe v. Wade.
- Harris is the only candidate who trusts women and will protect the freedom to make healthcare decisions.
- This statement was in reference to the GOP platform's language about the abortion policy section of the 14th Amendment.
- "We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied Life or Liberty without Due Process, and that the States are, therefore, free to pass Laws protecting those Rights."
- The GOP platform later said that it would “support mothers and policies that advance ... IVF”.
- Earlier this year, Alabama's Supreme Court ruled that embryos created through IVF are considered people.
- Trump's stance may put him at odds with anti-abortion-rights advocates who oppose certain parts of the IVF process
Many people do not have insurance plans that cover IVF, creating large out-of-pocket costs for the treatment.
In 2022, the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology reported that its member clinics performed 389,993 IVF cycles. Estimating each cycle to be $20,000, this would cost a total of $7.8 billion.
Trump has addressed criticism of his presidential administration through several 2024 campaign policy proposals including his stance on IVF and his elimination of taxes on tips.
Trump did not specifically state how he would vote on the Florida ballot measure that would guarantee the right to abortion until fetal viability.
- When pressed about how he will vote he stated “I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks”.
- When asked to clarify the meaning of this statement, a senior advisor for Trump stated Trump has not yet revealed whether he'll support the amendment.
- Trump has gone back and forth on the issue of abortion over the years.
- His current position is that it should be left up to the states
- Trump says he believes “in exceptions for life of the mother ... incest, rape.”
Discussion:
I noticed that the NBC News source made Trump's stances sound more vague than the Newsmax source. For example, the NBC News source seemed unsure about whether Trump planned to have the federal government or insurance companies pay for IVF while the Newsmax source specifically reported that insurance companies will be mandated to cover the costs.
The Newsmax source seemed to work to refute claims made by Democrats that Trump is against IVF. Meanwhile, the NBC News source seemed to reinforce the idea that Trump's platform poses a risk to IVF access, although it did include a quote in which Trump states his support for the procedure.
It seemed like the two sources had different motives for mentioning the cost of IVF treatment. The Newsmax source seemed to focus on how the high costs of the treatment are currently unaffordable for individuals while the NBC News source seemed to draw attention to the total cost that would be imposed on either the federal government or insurance companies if Trump accomplishes his goal.
The Newsmax source took Trump's statements regarding Florida's Amendment 4 to mean that he supports the measure while the NBC News source was unclear on how Trump will vote as he did not specifically state his decision.
- While I was writing this post, Trump actually ended up releasing his stance on Amendment 4. He has stated that he will be voting against the amendment. I have attached links to articles from NPR and Fox News that explain Trump's decision if you are interested in reading further:
Sources:
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