Opinion | Trump's IVF announcement disappoints everyone – even his own supporters

I'm so gutted about this news. I had really believed that Trump's campaign promise of making IVF free would be a game-changer for people struggling with fertility issues. But now it just seems like an empty promise . I mean, reducing costs by encouraging employers to cover fertility treatments is just not the same as making it completely free .

I've got friends who are trying to conceive and they're already stressing about the cost of treatment. $15,000 to $20,000 per cycle? That's just insane! And now this announcement seems like a cop-out . I get that politicians can't please everyone, but come on, making some small gesture towards reproductive healthcare would've been better than nothing .

And the fact that anti-abortion leaders are getting all worked up about IVF is just...ugh . It's not like it's going to create more babies or kill people – it's just a way for couples to build their families . Can't we all just try to be supportive and understanding here?

I dont know man... this whole thing just feels like a bunch of empty promises . Making IVF free sounds great in theory, but if it's gonna be conditional on employers covering it through employee benefits, that's still a pretty big hurdle to jump. And whats with the moral objections from anti-abortion folks? Can't we just focus on making healthcare more accessible for people who need it? It seems like Trump is more concerned about appeasing his base than actually making a difference in people's lives

I'm totally gutted about this IVF free plan, fam... I mean, what's the point of even having a promise if it's just gonna be watered down like that? I was so hyped when Trump first announced he'd make IVF free, but now it feels like just another empty gesture. And don't even get me started on the fact that employers gotta start offering fertility treatments as part of employee benefits... how's that gonna help the average person, huh? We all know how expensive these treatments are – $15k to $20k per cycle?! That's insane!

And can we talk about how the Center for Reproductive Rights and other advocacy groups are totally ripping Trump's administration a new one? They're saying this plan is insufficient, that it doesn't address access issues... like, what did you expect, dude? A magic wand to make all these costs disappear? And now anti-abortion leaders are jumping in to trash the whole thing because IVF creates embryos? Like, come on! Can't we just focus on making reproductive healthcare affordable for everyone?!

omg I'm so sad about this ivf thingy Trump announced he was like "oh ivf is free for americans" but now it's like "nope we're gonna make it cheaper for some people only ". I mean I get why some ppl might be all "pro life" and think ivf is bad cuz of the embryos but come on that's not even related to the cost . And honestly I'm just so tired of politicians making promises they can't keep . my sister went through ivf and it was literally a financial burden for her she spent like $20k for 1 cycle . this plan is not helping ppl like her at all .

I don't think Trump's plan is gonna make a huge difference for people trying to get pregnant. Like, it's not just about getting IVF free, it's about being able to afford the treatments in the first place. And if employers aren't on board with covering it, that's still a lot of people who won't be able to get the help they need. And can we talk about how weird it is for people to be criticizing IVF as "morally wrong" just because it creates multiple embryos? It's fertility treatments, not surgery!