The Costs of IVF as a POC in Trump's Economy

Last night's address to Congress was notable not just for what was said but for what remained unspoken. Despite his February Executive Order on fertility treatment costs, the President and self-proclaimed “Father of IVF” failed to mention the financial burden facing millions of people struggling with infertility, leaving real questions about his dedication to the cause and its priority on the national agenda.

The omission comes at a time of growing concern over the high costs of fertility treatment (IVF cycles ranging from $15,000 to $20,000 each). While the President's Executive Order this February promised to investigate ways to reduce these costs, the absence of any reference to this issue in such a high-profile address raises questions about his commitment to truly making IVF, as he said during his campaign, free for all, whether through public funding or insurance mandates.

Though some large employers have begun covering fertility treatments, experts say it’s likely that only Congressional action could bring meaningful change. "In general, it is really hard to find coverage," Usha Ranji, associate director for women's health policy, told HR Brew. Even in the 20+ states with mandates requiring IVF treatment coverage, Barb Collura, President and CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, notes these mandates only help "a tiny percentage of employees" since they exclude self-funded employer plans—which cover approximately 61 percent of workers. This is why it makes it all the more disappointing that the President failed to mention IVF costs or other fertility treatments in his big speech to Congress.

Still, despite the President’s omission, I have been thinking about the high costs of IVF a lot recently and wanted to know what people can do NOW, despite the current costs to prepare for treatments.

Since Black and Brown folk, in particular, are often already behind their White counterparts financially, it seemed like the perfect time to talk about how people of color should be thinking about the cost of fertility treatments, so I reached out to a financial therapist (yes, you read that right a financial and mental health expert rolled into one) Aja Evans about budgeting for fertility amidst this chaos about IVF costs and a shaky economy.

Evans says that there is no “perfect” time to decide to have kids, especially when dealing with infertility. But she also stresses the importance of planning ahead—while being realistic about the state of the economy. “Prepare yourself for job changes, potential layoffs, or a job market that’s more complex and slower than it was before.” 

She continues, “If you’re thinking about going into debt for this, ask yourself: how are you going to get out of debt when the baby is here?” she says. “I would hate for people to go into debt starting their parenting journey and have absolutely no way to climb out of it.” Evans believes that some of the way people can start is by talking about money more. If you have a partner, don’t be afraid to talk to them about this journey you’re about to start and kids. And even if you don’t have one, don’t be afraid to talk to your support network about your financial concerns since both infertility and financial woes can lead to feelings of shame and isolation. “I think in general people do not talk about money enough. And the more you have these conversations with your partner, your friends, your spouses, the less isolated you will feel. And that breaks up shame.”

 In today’s shaky economy, she warns about folks making rash decisions out of fear. “Things are very volatile right now, and people are very scared. When people are scared, they feel like they need to make major money moves—but I’m saying, please don’t do that right now.” She urges people to have a fertility fund that’s separate from their regular emergency fund ( “You cannot drain your emergency fund and your fertility fund at the same time and then be left with nothing” ), while also making sure that folks are paying attention to their mental health- advice many of us (um, me!) wished we heard sooner.  “Regulate your nervous system. We need to be calm before we’re making any big financial decisions.” 

In the end, she says, planning can make all the difference, but also gives some straightforward advice. “Stack your cash. Stack it in a high-yield savings account. Please.”

Buyer’s Remorse?

As we think about the high cost of fertility treatment, this recent article in the Washington Post about a fired federal worker (and Trump supporter) who seems to regret her vote is an interesting read about the President and his promise of free IVF. The subject of the story, who is in need of fertility treatments to have children, is getting roasted online for her vote, which she says she made off a TikTok she saw online.

What do you think?

We have a lot of content in store that reflects our mission: to provide you with the knowledge and tools to make informed, empowering choices. No matter where you are in your journey, we’re here to support you with empathy and expertise.

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