Washington, May 11 (IANS) President Donald Trump on Monday announced a new fertility benefit option for employers and launched a maternal healthcare initiative aimed at expanding access to IVF, childcare and rural maternal care across the United States.

Speaking at a White House event, Trump said the Department of Labor would formally create a fertility benefit option that employers could offer outside traditional health insurance plans.

“Most healthcare plans do not cover these benefits,” Trump said. “This will be a supplemental option available to those who need it.”

The President said the initiative would help millions of American families struggling with fertility treatment costs and broader maternal healthcare challenges.

“By offering coverage for care at every step, the fertility journey is a very interesting one, very complex it was, and we’re making it much simpler,” Trump said.

He credited Senator Katie Britt with drawing his attention to the issue of IVF access after an Alabama court ruling created uncertainty around fertility treatment.

“She said, sir, we have to do something,” Trump said. “And I became the father of fertility.”

Trump said the administration was also launching Moms.gov, a new federal website designed to centralise resources for mothers and families.

“Moms.gov is online right now,” he said. “I encourage every mom to visit this new page where they will find helpful information about clinical care, pregnancy resources, nutrition tips, Trump Rx and Trump accounts.”

Officials said the website would include information on prenatal and postpartum care, childcare support and fertility resources.

The administration also highlighted TrumpRx.gov, a prescription drug pricing programme that Trump claimed had sharply reduced fertility medication costs.

“One drug commonly used in IVF has gone from $966 to $168,” Trump said.

Dr Mehmet Oz said rural maternal healthcare remained a major concern, noting that maternal mortality rates were significantly higher in rural America.

“Your zip code should not determine your mortality rate if you’re having a baby,” Oz said.

He pointed to a $50 billion rural healthcare investment included in the administration’s tax package and said states were using telehealth and expanded local care systems to improve maternal outcomes.

Olivia Walton, speaking on behalf of the “Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America” campaign, described the funding as “a transformative opportunity to invest in maternal healthcare”.

“We want to cut the US maternal death rate in half in five years,” Walton said.

Trump also announced childcare reforms aimed at reducing costs and expanding parental choice.

Dr Alex Adams said the reforms would “bring faith-based providers back to the table” and reduce federal mandates that increased childcare costs.

“We’re restoring parental choice,” Adams said.

Trump repeatedly framed the policies as part of a broader “pro-family agenda” focused on encouraging childbirth and supporting young families.

“We’ve done more for young parents than any administration ever in history,” he said.

The event also featured remarks from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who warned that declining fertility rates represented “an existential crisis” for the country.

“We now have a president who is trying to encourage childbirth and motherhood in this country,” Kennedy said.

–IANS

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