'We want more babies': Trump pledges free IVF if elected president in 2024

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said he would require the government or insurance companies to pay for IVF fertility treatments if he is elected in November, a move aimed at appealing to women and suburban voters.

"Your government will pay for or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for all costs associated with IVF treatment fertilisation for women," the former president told supporters at a campaign event in Potterville, Michigan, on Thursday.

Trump also said his administration would push for allowing new parents to deduct "major newborn expenses" from their taxes.

"We want more babies," Trump said.

Trump will face Democrat Kamala Harris in the November 5 election. A Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Thursday showed Vice President Harris picking up support among women voters.

Hot-button issue

Not all states currently require insurance companies to cover IVF, which involves combining eggs and sperm in a laboratory dish to create an embryo for couples having difficulty conceiving.

Even with coverage, IVF is an expensive process that can cost thousands of dollars in drugs and medical procedures.

Few Americans have insurance plans that cover fertility treatments in any case, with costs of $20,000 or more for a single, 18-month round of IVF treatment too expensive for many.

IVF has emerged as a hot-button issue in the election, as Republicans nationwide have scrambled to contain backlash from a decision by the Alabama Supreme Court, which ruled in February that embryos were children.

That ruling left it unclear how to legally store, transport and use embryos, prompting some IVF patients to consider moving their frozen embryos out of the state.

Trump did not elaborate on how his administration would cover the cost of IVF treatments and the changes to the US tax code, or whether he would seek congressional action on his proposals.