Former President Trump calls for free IVF treatments

ONE'S OPEN. THIS ONE. >> ALL RIGHT, LET'S FREE MONEY. >> NOW, SPEAKING OF MEDICAL DEBT, AND I THINK PEOPLE YOU KNOW, BILLS THAT PEOPLE INCUR, ESPECIALLY AS THEY'RE TRYING TO GROW THEIR FAMILIES, THE FORMER PRESIDENT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, DONALD TRUMP THROWING HIS SUPPORT BEHIND IN VITRO FERTILIZATION. HE SAID IT IN A WISCONSIN TOWN HALL LAST NIGHT. THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HELP FOOT THE BILL FOR THOSE IN NEED OR FORCE INSURANCE COMPANIES TO PAY FOR IVF. THE ANNOUNCEMENT COMES AS TRUMP IS FACING INTENSE CRITICISM FROM DEMOCRATS FOR HIS ROLE IN APPOINTING A SUPREME COURT JUSTICES WHO OVERTURN ROE V WADE. SO AGAIN, LET'S BRING IN PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AT VIRGINIA TECH, DOCTOR KAREN HOLT. JOINING US NOW TO BREAK IT ALL DOWN, DOCTOR HOLT, LOOK, THIS ISN'T A POLITICAL. PROMISES HAPPEN FROM EVERY PARTY ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS FIGHT OF IVF, THEY KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS. THIS MAY HAVE PERKED THEIR EARS. IS THIS REALISTIC? >> WELL, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. AND AS AS THE PREVIOUS GUEST NOTED, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE FACING NOT ONLY REALLY HIGH HEALTH CARE COSTS AND GROWING MEDICAL DEBT. THAT CERTAINLY IS TRUE AS WELL FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE PURSUING IVF NOW AT THE SAME TIME, IT RAISES A WHOLE SET OF OTHER QUESTIONS. IN ADDITION TO IS IT REALISTIC? IT ALSO RAISES THE QUESTION OF IS THIS SOMETHING THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD GET INVOLVED IN? AND IS THIS SOMETHING THAT A WHOLE RANGE OF PEOPLE AMONG MR. TRUMP'S CONSTITUENCIES AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE AS WELL, WILL COVER A VARIETY OF WAYS OF UNTANGLING THIS. ONE OF THEM IS, HOWEVER, IS IN IN THE IMMEDIATE RUN, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DO. IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH WHAT WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS TALKING ABOUT IS EITHER HAVING CONGRESS PASS LEGISLATION THAT DOES SOME KIND OF REQUIRING STATE HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE TO INCLUDE IVF. WE FORGET THAT MANY, MANY PARTS OF THE INSURANCE COVERAGE IS REGULATED BY STATES. RIGHT NOW, 19 STATES COVER SOME KINDS OF INFERTILITY TREATMENTS IN THE VIEWING AREA. THAT INCLUDES THOSE IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, IN MARYLAND, IN DELAWARE, BUT NOT BY THE WAY, IN VIRGINIA. SO RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT A PATCHWORK PROCESS, BUT IT ALSO RAISES QUESTIONS AMONG PEOPLE THAT OPPOSE ABORTION, BECAUSE MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SUPPORT FOR IVF, BECAUSE A NUMBER OF THE EMBRYOS THAT ARE CREATED TO BE IMPLANTED IN WOMEN ARE ULTIMATELY KILLED IF THEY IF THEY DO NOT TAKE OR THE PROCESS IS DISCONTINUED. SO IT RAISES A WHOLE RANGE OF POLITICAL ISSUES AS WELL AS A RANGE OF FINANCIAL ISSUES TOO. >> SO AS AS A LISTENER DOCTOR IN YOUR OPINION, I SHOULD JUST TAKE THIS AS THIS IS SOMETHING SOMEBODY SAID ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL AND MAYBE WE'LL SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS COME TO LIGHT. IF THIS PERSON WERE TO WIN, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY THE WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT. >> AND ALSO PUTTING PUT IT, OF COURSE, IN THE BROADER CONTEXT OF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IF MR. TRUMP RETURNS TO OFFICE, IT'S SOMETHING HE CANNOT DO AS A PRESIDENT ALONE. HE PROBABLY WOULD NEED SOME KIND OF CONGRESSIONAL HELP. HE ALSO WOULD HAVE TO COPE WITH DIVISIONS AMONG REPUBLICANS ON THE ISSUE, AS WELL AS REAL SKEPTICISM ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE AS WELL. SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT PERHAPS NEEDS TO BE TALKED ABOUT IN THE BROADER PUBLIC. IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY UPON ELECTING MR. TRUMP. AND LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT IN A HYPOTHETICAL. >> LET'S SAY THAT HE DOES A FINE A CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL, THAT THIS CAN GO THROUGH. WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED AT THE SUPREME COURT IN ALABAMA WITH IVF AND HOW THOSE EMBRYOS WERE ON HOLD REALLY QUICKLY. DOCTOR HOLT, IS THIS SOMETHING WHERE THERE COULD BE A FEDERAL EDICT, BUT EVERY STATE WOULD STILL, IN THE END, GET TO DO WHAT IT CHOSE ONE THING. >> SO IT DEPENDS ON THE NATURE OF WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DID. NOW, ONE MIGHT IMAGI THATN HAPPENS IN THESE CASES, THERE WOULD BE AN EFFORT BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO SAY THERE IS AN INCENTIVE FOR STATES TO GO AHEAD AND REQUIRE THIS. OF THE INSURANCE COMPANIES WRITING HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE IN THEIR STATE. HOWEVER, THEN WHEN ALSO REMEMBERS WHAT THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM SAYS, WHICH IS THAT IN MR. TRUMP'S VIEW, ABORTION AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS COVERAGE SHOULD BE LEFT TO THE STATES. SO THAT IN ITSELF RAISES A BIT OF A NOT QUITE A POLICY CONFLICT, BUT A POTENTIAL DISPUTE. BUT I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE STATES RIGHT NOW THAT DO REQUIRE SOME DEGREE OF PRIVATE INSURANCE COVERAGE ALSO HAVE LIMITS ON THE SIZE OF THE EMPLOYER AND HAVE A WHOLE RANGE OF RELIGIOUS OBJECTIONS, EXEMPTIONS AS WELL. SO IT WOULD NOT BE A SIMPLE EDICT COMING FROM ON HIGH AND WOULD GO INTO PLACE EVERYWHERE. IT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF DISCUSSION, IMPLEMENTATION AND NEGOTIATION WITH STATES AND WITHIN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS WELL. >> PEOPLE ARE CERTAINLY LISTENING, THAT'S FOR SURE. POLITICA