Group 1 - President Trump announced a deal with Merck KGaA to reduce the price of certain fertility medicines in exchange for relief from threatened tariffs, aiming to make IVF more affordable and accessible in the US [1] - The administration will provide guidance allowing employers to offer fertility benefits as excepted benefits, enabling fixed-cost add-on coverage for patients and employers [2] - An executive order was previously issued to produce policy recommendations for lowering the cost of fertility treatments, which can exceed $15,000 per procedure, although the report was not delivered [3] Group 2 - Fertility issues were a significant topic during Trump's campaign, with him referring to himself as the "father of IVF," but this stance has faced challenges from his conservative base following a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court regarding frozen embryos [4] - Analysts suggest that endorsing IVF from the White House could positively influence awareness and adoption of IVF, despite the lack of direct financial incentives for employers [5] - Trump has been actively working to lower healthcare prices, having previously struck deals with Pfizer and AstraZeneca to maintain US prices equivalent to those abroad while also reducing prices for Medicaid [6]