The US government entered an agreement with EMD Serono, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of fertility pharmaceuticals (they create Gonal-f which is used to stimulate egg production), to lower the cost of EMD Serono’s medications. As part of the agreement, EMD Serono will offer their products directly to consumers at reduced prices through TrumpRx.gov, a new direct purchasing platform that the White House is launching in January 2026.

The President’s announcement also outlined a pathway for large and small employers to offer separate IVF insurance products, like how many offer separate dental and vision products. While it encourages, but does not require employer action, this pathway is a vehicle for employers to use.

There was also something else that happened that was a pivotal moment for our movement. The White House underscored what RESOLVE has been shouting from the rooftops since IVF was first performed in the US, IVF is a critical medical treatment that gives people a chance to build the family of their dreams. This wouldn’t be possible without you – the RESOLVE community – who with your stories and advocacy bring to life why IVF is so critical for so many families.

What does RESOLVE think?

During his campaign, the President promised that the government would mandate that insurance companies cover IVF treatment. Yesterday’s announcement does not deliver on that promise, which gave hope to so many families.

We know that the White House announcements are a step, not a comprehensive solution.

But, we believe it’s important to acknowledge progress when progress is made. And yesterday’s announcement touched upon two big concerns for Americans facing infertility: reducing IVF drug costs and encouraging companies to offer increased family building benefits. We believe these are important steps forward on the road to ensuring all Americans can access the care they need to build the families of their dreams. But there’s a lot more work to do.

At a time when fertility care is becoming increasingly politicized by those ideologically opposed to IVF, the President’s support for IVF matters. This announcement sends a signal to policymakers and employers that infertility is deserving of coverage – a necessity rather than a luxury. However, the potential impact for patients depends on what happens next.

The White House has communicated a plan for IVF—but what’s still missing, and what does RESOLVE want to know?

We hear you–you want more details and so do we. Here are a few things we’re looking into and where we can be of service to the decision makers.

What will the Department of Labor deem as acceptable benefits? RESOLVE will share our model benefits with the administration with the hopes of informing their rulemaking process. Rulemaking is a regulatory process used by federal agencies to define how policies get implemented. Importantly, rulemaking includes a public comment period and we will ensure that this is an opportunity to make our community’s voice heard.

How will companies adding benefits be enforced if there is not a federal mandate? RESOLVE still believes that a federal mandate to cover fertility care, including IVF, will help the most people.

How many people will be impacted? Senator Katie Britt (AL) said at the press conference that this new plan will “impact one million people.” We’re looking into how this number was determined and who is included.

How and when can patients access the medication discount? While the portal is expected to launch in January 2026, we don’t know when patients will be eligible to purchase their medication through TrumpRx. The White House announcement also referenced using income thresholds, which may determine who in the patient community will benefit.

While we want all patients to have access to reduced medication prices and benefits, this will take time to be implemented. It’s important that if you’re considering pursuing IVF treatments to build your family that you talk to a reproductive endocrinologist about how timing of treatments impacts your chances of a successful outcome.

Will Federal Employees and our servicemembers gain access to IVF coverage through their insurance plans? The US government is the largest employer in the country. We urge policymakers to take the opportunity to provide the benefits that they’re encouraging other employers to take.

Who will be eligible to receive these benefits? We don’t know how the benefits will be structured, but we do know that our community will fight together to ensure that everyone who needs care gets it.

Does this impact RESOLVE’s efforts at the state level to protect and expand access to IVF?

The short answer is: no. Our work continues, stronger than ever.

While the White House’s recent announcement shows important federal attention on fertility care, the recommendations related to employer-based insurance coverage do not require employers to offer or expand fertility care benefits. For this reason, RESOLVE’s work at the state level to pass laws that mandate insurance coverage for fertility care remains essential.

In fact, we can use federal attention on this issue to create momentum in the states. When national leaders signal that fertility care should be accessible and affordable, it helps build bipartisan support for coverage across the country. We’ve already seen this play out in California, where a longstanding “mandate to offer” law was successfully strengthened to a “mandate to cover” with the help of RESOLVE and our advocacy partners — expanding coverage to thousands of families beginning in 2026.

RESOLVE will continue fighting at the state level to make sure every person, no matter where they live or work, has access to comprehensive fertility coverage. The most effective way to achieve that goal is through insurance mandates, and we remain committed to that mission.

What’s next?

RESOLVE is meeting with partners and advocates to understand what questions still need to be answered and identify opportunities for our community to make our voices heard.

We will continue our advocacy work at the state and federal level to ensure everyone has access to the fertility treatments they need to build the family they dream of. We stand with our patient community who wants to see transformative access to care, and we will continue to fight with you.

What can you do?

We need you to sign up for our RESOLVE Advocacy Network—there’s no better time. We need you to be alert and ready to take action whether it’s with the state house or the White House.

Please share your story with us. Your experience trying to build a family and facing barriers to care needs to be heard.

Support the mission. Donate today, we’ve got work to do.

RESOLVE wants to ensure that patients, lawmakers, and the public understand what “Restorative Reproductive Medicine” really means and how it can affect access to care, delay treatment, and limit patients’ ability to make decisions about their health.

What is “Restorative Reproductive Medicine”?

If you’ve come across the term “Restorative Reproductive Medicine,” or RRM, in conversations about infertility, you’re not alone. Almost overnight it feels like our algorithms are filled with ideas on how to help someone get pregnant “naturally” or get to the “root cause” of your infertility. It sounds supportive, even hopeful, like something that helps ‘restore’ your body’s natural ability to conceive. RRM often repackages familiar diagnostics and treatments, like hormone tracking and timed intercourse, but it draws a hard line when it comes to certain evidence-based options, like in vitro fertilization (IVF). And that’s not because of science. It’s because of ideology.

Where RRM really stands apart is in what it does not include as options to help resolve your infertility. Treatments like IVF, intrauterine insemination (IUI), and fertility preservation are typically left off the table. That’s not because they don’t work, and it’s not because patients don’t want them. It’s because of moral and/or ideological objections to assisted reproductive technology.

This is where things get tricky. While there’s nothing wrong with exploring all options, it becomes a problem when care is guided more by ideology than by science or the actual needs of the patient. In fact, most of what RRM supporters endorse are tools and diagnostics that are already standards of care provided by a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist.

RRM approaches also tend to focus on female infertility, overlooking male factor infertility, which accounts for roughly one-third of all infertility cases. By ignoring male factor infertility in diagnosis and treatment, RRM leaves a significant portion of patients without the care and solutions they need.

Restorative Reproductive Medicine (RRM) is Not a Recognized Medical Specialty

Here’s something important to know: RRM is not recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), which oversees certification of officially approved medical fields in the United States. As of 2024, there are 24 boards certifying everything from pediatrics to reproductive endocrinology, but RRM isn’t one of them (ABMS, 2024[cb1] ).

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has raised this red flag, too. In a 2024 fact sheet, ASRM pointed out that terms like “Restorative Reproductive Medicine” and “Ethical IVF” are often used to promote personal beliefs, not medical consensus. They warn that these terms can confuse and mislead patients and policymakers, as well as risk restricting access to the care people really need (ASRM, 2024).

With support from both ABMS and ASRM, the bottom line is RRM is not a formally recognized specialty, and the language used to promote RRM can blur the line between medical care and moral beliefs.

Restorative Reproductive Medicine (RRM) will Impact Access to Care

The term “restorative” sounds reassuring. It implies healing, hope, and a return to something whole. But, when used in the context of reproductive medicine, it can be misleading. Many people hear “restorative” and assume it means comprehensive or advanced. In reality, the opposite is often true.

RRM is promoted as an alternative to assisted reproductive technologies, and the concern is that the RRM model will appear in legislation as a preferred standard of care. These efforts can be subtle, nestled in language that emphasizes “wellness” or “natural” methods. But the outcome is clear: we could end up with policies that restrict access to the full range of fertility care treatments.

For patients, forcing RRM as the only solution can translate to patients having fewer choices, delayed diagnoses, and lower chances of achieving a successful pregnancy. It’s a well proven fact that age is a factor for women and pregnancy success rates, so patients should be mindful of that when looking at their family building plans. RRM can also create confusion, while reinforcing stigma around patients’ personal decisions, especially for those who ultimately need to pursue IVF or third-party reproduction.

We also want to make sure the patient community doesn’t feel shamed into one option over the other by infertility influencers, public discourse, or friends and family. RESOLVE wants you to continue to have the freedoms you deserve about your healthcare decisions.

Freedom to Decide

1 in 6 people will face infertility. It is a recognized disease, and it deserves to be treated like one. That means those facing infertility deserve access to the full range of evidence-based care. Patients should have the freedom to pursue the treatment path that best fits their health and personal values, whether that includes treatments endorsed by RRM supporters like cycle tracking and ovulation support, or if it’s medical intervention like IVF, fertility preservation, donor options, surrogacy, or adoption. At RESOLVE, we believe it’s a “both and” rather than an “either or” and that patients need to have access to the full range of options that can support them with building their family.

That care should not be shaped or restricted by ideology, misinformation, or vague terminology. It should be shaped by science, informed consent, and respect for the patient’s decision making.

What You Can Do

If you’re concerned about how restrictive and misleading language is shaping reproductive health policy, there are simple yet powerful steps you can take:

• Join the RESOLVE Advocacy Network to stay in the loop about legislation that could impact access to care.
• Personal stories have power. We’re looking for people who used IVF because holistic methods or lifestyle changes either didn’t work or would never work because of the nature of their family building challenge (i.e., IVF was needed because you are a cancer survivor). Submit your story to RESOLVE.
• Advocate for policies that protect all family building options and respect the freedom to make your own healthcare decisions.

When we work together, we are a powerful force. Everyone deserves a chance to build the family they envision. And that begins with honest language, informed decisions, and a commitment to reproductive freedom.

In honor of World Cystic Fibrosis Day, September 8th, RESOLVE’s CEO, Danielle Melfi sat down with Pete Proimos, founder of the Filotimo Foundation, to discuss the intersection of chronic illness, infertility, and advocacy. RESOLVE and the Filotimo Foundation want people living with cystic fibrosis (CF) who want to build a family to know they are not alone in the fight for support and access.

Pete, tell us about the Filotimo Foundation. Why did you start it?

“I live with cystic fibrosis (CF), and I’ve seen firsthand how hard it is to live with a chronic disease—especially when it comes to things like fertility or financial hardship that aren’t always covered by insurance. I wanted to create a nurturing environment where people with CF could thrive, not just survive.”

What does “Filotimo” mean?

“It’s a Greek word that means helping someone without expecting anything in return. It’s like a hug you didn’t ask for but really needed. That’s what we try to offer—support that’s deeply human and unconditional.”

How does cystic fibrosis affect fertility, and how is Filotimo addressing that?

“For men with CF, 98% have an underdeveloped vas deferens, meaning sperm retrieval is necessary to have children, but the medical procedures are often not covered by insurance. We partner with clinics like Atlantic Reproductive Medicine and Ivy Fertility to provide financial and emotional support for families navigating this journey.”

What’s the big vision for Filotimo?

“To build a national network of fertility clinics that understand cystic fibrosis and other chronic diseases. We want to support anyone who needs help building a family—whether they’re dealing with CF, cancer, or another condition. And we want to do it with compassion and efficiency.”

Danielle, what is RESOLVE and how do you support people building families?

“RESOLVE is the national patient advocacy organization for people facing infertility and those who face barriers to building a family. We provide support groups, educational resources, and advocate for better access to care at both the state and federal levels. Our goal is to ensure everyone who wants to build a family can do so.”

How important is the patient voice in your work?

“It’s everything. Patients lead our support groups, shape our educational materials, and are the heart of our advocacy. Last year, 800 patients joined us for Advocacy Day to share their stories with lawmakers. Their voices drive change.”

Final Thoughts

This conversation was more than a meeting—it was a moment of connection between two organizations rowing in the same direction. As Pete said, “We’re in the boat together.” And as Danielle reminded us, “The more voices we have, the louder we are.”

RESOLVE knows first-hand the barriers too many people face when it comes to building a family. That’s why we partner with organizations like Filotimo Foundation to share information about their family building grants and financial help. To learn more visit our grants and scholarship resource page or go directly to Filotimo Foundations’ website.

This law also includes ensuring safe access to fertility clinics. It is your right to be able to walk into your fertility clinic free of harassment, violence or blockage from the entrance. Since its enactment, the FACE Act has been instrumental in reducing such violence and ensuring safe access to care.

There is a bill that was introduced earlier this year in the House of Representatives to repeal the FACE Act, and it is now waiting to be discussed in the House Judiciary Committee. RESOLVE is very concerned about this news, and we are monitoring it closely, but we need you to act now. It’s time that Congress heard that this law is important to our community. The recent targeted bombing of a fertility clinic in Palm Springs makes it clearer than ever that we need more protections for patients and providers, not fewer.

Contact your Representative and urge them to oppose any efforts to repeal the FACE Act. Emphasize the importance of protecting safe access to reproductive health care, including fertility treatments. No one should fear for their safety while trying to seek care to build their family.

Background on the Executive Order

Let’s rewind to February 18, 2025, when the White House released an Executive Order (EO) on In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). The EO mandates that within 90 days, policy recommendations would be submitted to the President to safeguard IVF access and significantly reduce out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatments. RESOLVE responded to this announcement by sharing our expertise in this area. As the 90th day approaches— possibly on May 19th, just one day before RESOLVE’s Federal Advocacy Day in collaboration with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine—we are preparing for what comes next.

RESOLVE’s Work in this Moment

Since the EO was released, RESOLVE has focused on gathering information, surveying our community, talking to our advocacy partners, and scenario planning with the goal of being prepared to respond to the Executive Order as the leading voice for the family building patient community in the U.S. As we have shared over and over with the media since February 18, we’ve been working on expanding access to care and IVF for more than 40 years – we know what good policy looks like, and we know how to expand access to care.

Many from the community have reached out asking if we have talked to the White House, some people even assumed that we were. As of the date of this blog post, we have not had direct contact with anyone at the White House or anyone working on the Executive Order. We have sent a letter to the Domestic Policy Council requesting a meeting and outlining policies and legislation that would bring immediate financial relief to people who need IVF to build their family, including veterans and our U.S. military servicemembers.

Drawing on our extensive experience advocating for this community and understanding the opposition’s stance on IVF, we have begun planning our response to the EO Policy Recommendations based on various potential scenarios that seem plausible to us. While the one certainty is we have no idea what the Policy Recommendations will be, we are confident we will be able to evaluate the recommendations against our guiding principles and determine the impact to our community – whatever the recommendations turn out to be.

Updates on the Survey

On April 7, 2025, RESOLVE launched a survey through our partners at Untold Research asking the patient community to evaluate various insurance benefit offerings. This type of survey was unprecedented for RESOLVE and our community took notice. In many ways it felt uncomfortable asking the questions we asked, but it was necessary.

Here’s why: Numerous well-funded groups and organizations oppose IVF as a medical treatment and family building method, some with budgets ten times larger than RESOLVE’s and strong ties to Congress and the White House. They want to change how IVF is practiced which could make it less effective, or they want to talk about ways to “cure” infertility using treatments that are not based in science.

They want you to make hard choices such as having insurance coverage for IVF, but with too many strings attached that sacrifices your care, your choices, and your outcome. One respondent told us they felt like their “back was up against a wall with impossible choices in front of me.” That is exactly what could happen.

Our Guiding Principles

We will assess the Executive Order policy recommendations through a framework of our core guiding principles regarding patient access to IVF. Patients deserve policies that: (in alphabetical order)

• Acknowledge all family-building options
• Adopt an inclusive definition of infertility
• Align with current clinical guidelines and scientifically supported standards of care
• Ensure bodily autonomy, free from government intervention
• Honor the Doctor-Patient relationship
• Respect all the ways families are built and created

These principles currently guide RESOLVE’s response to both federal and state legislation. It also guided us through the process of creating the nation’s only model legislation for IVF insurance mandates and model benefits for employer sponsored insurance plans.

Please remember, we are not satisfied with the status quo. It’s never over until everyone has the access to the care they need to build their family.

What You Can Do Right Now

We’ve been the leading patient organization for 50 years and have seen so many threats to IVF, as well as opportunities to increase access to care over those years. We haven’t sat on the sidelines when those threats and opportunities have come up. We’ve sat at the tables, whether the table was in boardrooms, with Members of Congress, or in state legislatures around the country. And to be totally transparent, we don’t always talk about all the places we’ve been, but as a patient or someone in the family building community, you’ve benefited from RESOLVE’s advocacy work and the places we have been and the tables where we’ve brought your voice.

We may not be at the Executive Order table during this particular moment, but that doesn’t mean we’re sitting still. Our strength has always been in our preparation, our persistence, and our people. And that includes you.

• Stay Connected: Ensure you are signed up for our RESOLVE Advocacy Network to receive crucial emails and updates.
• Stay Informed: Follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn) and share information from reliable sources about this Executive Order.
• Keep Talking to Us: We understand this is a time of uncertainty, but your voice helps shape what comes next. We want to keep the conversation open and hear from you about how this moment is impacting you. We invite you to reach out through our comment form if that helps you process this uncertain time. Your voice matters and we want to hear from you.
• Be Ready: Prepare to act when needed.

No matter what comes next, we will continue to lead with our guiding principles, keep this community informed, and prepare you to raise your voice when it matters most. For 50 years, it’s been YOU and YOUR VOICE that has made a difference. Don’t ever forget that.

When legislators voice their support for “ethical IVF” but provide no real definition, RESOLVE believes this is an effort to impose a subjective, personal value system on fertility care. This is dangerous for patients because that implies that today’s safe, effective, and patient-centered treatments are somehow unethical. This is out of step with modern medicine and the way care is accessed today.

Every person’s fertility journey is unique. Patients must have the ability to access care that aligns with their personal and medical needs. Efforts to redefine and regulate IVF based on ideology, rather than science, create unnecessary barriers to care, making the IVF process even more out of reach to people in need.

RESOLVE supports policies that make fertility care more accessible, safer, and improve outcomes—not those that create unnecessary barriers, and worsen outcomes.

We oppose attempts to regulate IVF that would:

• Limit patient choice/preference in fertility treatments
• Restrict providers from offering best-practice care
• Reduce access to treatment by creating legal uncertainties
• Force one-size-fits-all policies that ignore individual patient needs
• Restrict patient autonomy over their body, gametes, and embryos
• Interfere with the doctor-patient relationship

For decades, IVF has provided a chance at parenthood to millions of people facing infertility. Patients must continue to have the right to make informed choices about their medical care, free from government overreach. RESOLVE stands against any regulation that undermines patient autonomy, medical science, and access to care.

Join us in protecting access to IVF and the right of every person to build their family in a way that’s right for them.

Understanding Your Insurance Coverage

Most Americans get their health insurance through their employer, but some rely on Medicaid, Medicare, or programs like CHIP (for children). If you’re part of the majority with employer-sponsored insurance, your coverage may differ significantly depending on your company’s insurance plan and whether your employer is self-insured or not.

Self-insured employers are exempt from state mandates, which means they don’t have to cover fertility treatments that are mandated by certain states. Fully insured plans are typically chosen by smaller employers, generally those with more than 50 but fewer than 100 employees. In a fully insured plan, the employer purchases health insurance from an insurance company. This makes navigating insurance coverage for fertility care tricky, especially when state laws only apply to fully insured plans. It’s important to know whether your employer’s plan falls under a state mandate and understand what’s included in that coverage.

Getting Support from Your Clinic and HR

Once you understand your insurance plan, it’s time to work with your fertility clinic and HR department. Start by checking your benefits documents, especially the exclusions section, to see if treatments like IVF, IUI, or fertility medications are covered. This can be a tedious process, so if you’re having trouble, reach out to your HR department for clarification—they often have direct connections with insurance companies that can help resolve questions.

Your fertility clinic also plays an important role. They should be familiar with various insurance plans and can help guide you on what to expect regarding covered treatments and out-of-pocket costs. If you don’t get the answers you need, don’t hesitate to ask HR for further support. HR can contact the insurance company on your behalf to get answers.

Appealing Denials

If you find that a treatment is denied, don’t give up! Insurance companies often deny claims for technical reasons, expecting patients to simply accept the decision. However, many people find that appeals lead to coverage. Keeping a detailed record of your communications with your insurer, and submitting an appeal with the necessary supporting documentation, can improve your chances of getting your claim approved. Remember, you have the right to advocate for your health and well-being.

Managing Medication Costs

Fertility treatments often require expensive medications, which might not be covered by your insurance. If you find yourself in this situation, you may be able to work with specialty pharmacies to receive discounts on your prescriptions. Always ask your doctor if there are alternatives that could be less expensive and covered by a specialty pharmacy. Additionally, some medications that aren’t covered by insurance can be purchased at discounted prices through these pharmacies or manufacturer coupons, allowing you to save on out-of-pocket expenses.

Navigating Dollar Cap Benefits

Many fertility benefit plans include a dollar cap, which limits the amount your insurance will pay for fertility treatments. It’s crucial to know exactly how much your plan covers and be aware of your clinic’s costs to avoid unexpected expenses. If your plan has a dollar cap, use it strategically. For example, don’t apply it to medications, which can often be discounted; instead, reserve the benefit for the medical treatments themselves.

Getting the Most Out of Your Coverage

Navigating fertility benefits can be complex, but understanding your insurance coverage is the crucial first step. If you need more information or assistance with navigating fertility insurance, visit resolve.org/coverageatwork for valuable resources and support.

To stay informed on important topics like this, be sure to subscribe to our podcast, In(Fertility) Discourse, available on all major streaming platforms. Thank you for your continued support!

On Tuesday, February 18, 2025, the White House released an Executive Order (EO) titled “Expanding Access to In Vitro Fertilization.” Since the release of the EO, RESOLVE has received questions and concerns from our community. Let’s break down what we know, what we don’t know, and what’s next.

What does this Executive Order do?

The Executive Order is very simple and only does one thing: It asks the Deputy Domestic Policy Advisor to make policy recommendations within 90 days on “protecting IVF access and aggressively reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatment.” That’s it.

What does this Executive Order NOT do?

The Executive Order does not mandate that insurance plans cover IVF. It does not specifically call out who will and won’t benefit from any possible policy changes. And it does not say who will pay for any changes to insurance coverage for IVF. The EO itself does not fulfill the campaign promise of making IVF free.

What is due in 90 Days? Is RESOLVE involved?

The EO asks for “Policy Recommendations on protecting IVF access and aggressively reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatment,” and to provide those recommendations “within 90 days.” We have no other information, nor can we make any assumptions of what those could be. However, we know what great policy and great benefits look like. We hope the Administration determines the importance of the patient voice and takes our resources into consideration as they work to develop their policy recommendations. RESOLVE has not been contacted by the White House as of 2/20/2025.

What’s the difference between an Executive Order and a mandate?

An Executive Order sets an intention that something is a priority for the administration. A mandate is a law to change a current policy. Nothing has changed regarding the status of insurance coverage for IVF. And IVF is still legal and available throughout the country.

Why should I believe this Executive Order will change anything?

We understand this feeling. It’s hard to reconcile this issue with other issues happening in the country. RESOLVE does not pretend to think that this Executive Order will change anything because it was not written in a way that promises change. The change could come AFTER the recommendations. What is possible though, is that the federal government – and Congress – can protect IVF and they can expand insurance coverage for IVF. These are issues we’ve been advocating for years, regardless of who is in the White House or who controls Congress. We absolutely see a path forward where Congress can pass IVF protections and Congress can pass laws expanding access to IVF. We also know that the Administration can take positive action now on expanding access to IVF for our military, Veterans, federal employees, and via changes to the Affordable Care Act. We see a path forward beyond an Executive Order for changes in protecting and expanding access to IVF that would be meaningful.

Does RESOLVE support the Trump administration?

RESOLVE is a 501 (c)(3) non-partisan non-profit and does not support any candidates, politicians, or people currently holding office. We do work with all lawmakers and government officials at all levels of state and federal government to ensure the patient voice is heard. Our eyes are wide open and aware of the politics associated with our issues and we are always laser focused on what’s best for the patient.

What does great insurance coverage look like according to RESOLVE?

Insurance coverage that covers everyone who needs help building their family and that coverage prioritizes the best treatment outcomes is very important to RESOLVE. We have created model benefits that are based on the ASRM definition of infertility and focused on all aspects of family building.

What’s next? What can I do?

Stay connected. RESOLVE is working with like-minded organizations like ASRM and others to ensure the patient voice is heard. Register for federal Advocacy Day, May 20th, which RESOLVE hosts in partnership with ASRM. This event is happening right at the 90-day mark for the EO recommendations—we need to share our stories with Congress to make sure they understand why we need to expand access to care and what great insurance coverage and inclusive access to care looks like. This is a virtual event, and we do everything to get you prepared for a productive and empowering day. The event is open to all – patients, providers, professionals, family members and partner organizations. Join us!

Resources

• Get Insurance Coverage at Work
• Download the State Advocacy Toolkit
• Register for Advocacy Day

As we step into January, it’s time to revisit budgets and make plans for the year ahead. For companies, especially small businesses and startups, allocating those precious CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) dollars can be a daunting task. It often feels like supporting a non-profit is out of reach. But here’s the good news – it doesn’t have to be that way.

Even with a limited budget, you can still make a significant impact on our work and mission – the key is to get creative! There are numerous ways to contribute that don’t require a large financial commitment but can still make a difference.

As a fundraiser who puts the “fun” into fundraising, I’ve compiled fifteen innovative and engaging ideas that you can do to support RESOLVE. Whether your business is big or small, struggling, growing, or just looking to do something fun and different with your employees for a good cause, these suggestions will inspire you. Aligning with RESOLVE and demonstrating your commitment to the patient community shows your support for them and demonstrates your commitment to our cause, which is as you know, their cause.

So, let’s dive in and explore some fun ways to support RESOLVE. From organizing fundraising events, to a point of sale, there are plenty of opportunities to make a difference. Remember, every little bit helps, and your efforts can have a lasting impact on the lives of many. Let’s make 2025 RESOLVE strong!

Ways to Support RESOLVE

1. Create a DIY Fundraiser or DIY Walk – DIY Fundraisers come in all sizes and formats. From bake sales and raffles to jewelry parties and auctions, if you have your own creative idea to raise money and awareness to support the mission of RESOLVE, we’d love to hear about it. Whether virtual or in-person, we can help set your fundraiser up for success. Gameto did their own NIAW fundraiser and leveraged/promoted the fundraiser with the help of their fashion brand partner.
2. “Sales” for RESOLVE – Sell something internally to employees or externally to customers and give some or all the proceeds to RESOLVE.
3. Create a point of sale at checkout if you are selling any consumer products. Encourage your customers to give to RESOLVE at check-out to help support the patient community! Binto and Bird&Be currently support us this way.
4. Put us into your scripts! If you are a pharmacy and you are printing scripts, include us in there. Walgreens is including a QR code to the RESOLVE website and content about our work together in their Clomid scripts.
5. Hold a corporate or educational event and donate some or all the proceeds to RESOLVE. Conceive did an in-store fashion and networking event in collaboration with a fashion brand and donated a portion of the sales to RESOLVE.
6. Shop for RESOLVE – Purchase RESOLVE swag for your employees for birthday gifts/partner gifts/holiday gifts.
7. Thank your employee(s) by donating in their honor to RESOLVE – We will send them the card and they will know your company is RESOLVE strong. You can also do this for your corporate partners during the holidays! International Fertility Law Group did this last year.
8. Payroll deductions – Ask employees if they want to do automatic donations through your payroll department elected by employees to support RESOLVE. You can do it around a time of year/during NIAW or other company event and/or all year long.
9. Host a Basketball, Golf, or Bowling Tournament for your employees – Does your company have internal events for team building purposes? Company employees could “buy in” to play and the event will become more purposeful. Donate some or all the proceeds to RESOLVE. Good CSR and good fun – a win-win.
10. Host a March Madness Bracket Pool or Super Bowl Squares pool “Gaming Tournament” with 50 percent going to winner and 50 percent going to RESOLVE.
11. “Infertility Sucks” day where employees pay a certain amount and get a sucker/lollipop and proceeds go to RESOLVE.
12. Run, host, or sponsor a 5k or fitness class and donate proceeds – Company fitness to benefit an important mission!
13. Host a raffle or auction to your network, patients, or partners with proceeds going to RESOLVE.
14. Start a “word” Jar – Is there a certain word you don’t want to hear in your office language in 2025? Put a “word” jar for employee offenders and encourage a small amount to donate to if they say that word.
15. Put a link to donate to us in your e-signatures or on your webpage or socials that goes out to your community. You can do this during NIAW – hint hint.

If you have any questions on any of these ideas please feel free to contact me at sophia.elias@resolve.org to help you brainstorm creative ideas.

But luckily for you we sum it up here and go a bit deeper. With IVF part of a national discussion, and presidential candidates and Members of Congress declaring “We support IVF”, we want to shed some light on recently introduced federal legislation and RESOLVE’s position. .

Dateline California:

In the five years that RESOLVE, and our California coalition partners have advocated for an IVF insurance law in the Golden State, we’ve never been closer to insurance coverage for infertility and IVF than we are now. We are thrilled to see that an IVF insurance coverage bill passed the state legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support, and as of September 23, 2024, it is on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for signing. Governor Newsom has until the end of September to sign it into law. Make sure you follow us to find out what happens in California. Thank you so much to all our advocates who have called and emailed their lawmakers to get the bill this far this year. Your advocacy is amazing!

The National Conversation Around IVF:

It is no surprise to us at RESOLVE that infertility and IVF are being discussed on a national level, especially with the presidential campaign in full swing. IVF was on the Republican issue platform at the Republican National Convention and a prominent topic in speeches at the Democratic National Convention. Former President Trump recently announced his administration would get IVF covered by insurance if he’s elected.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization, the IRS prevents RESOLVE from endorsing or supporting specific candidates or engaging in any political campaigns. We are allowed to provide voter education and voter resources that are non-partisan and not specific to any specific candidate or political party. We can support federal and state legislation.

At the federal level, when a lawmaker wants to draft a bill, their staff work experts in the government as well as key stakeholders in the private and non-profit sector to draft the bill in a way that meets the goals of the lawmaker. Given our reputation and long experience in Congress, we are fortunate that many lawmakers and their staff reach out to RESOLVE to discuss bill language, review draft bills, connect with other experts, and ensure the bill meets the needs of the RESOLVE community. This allows us to be in the middle of it all.

This Congress we are fortunate to support more than 14 bills; listed below are two bills that RESOLVE supports. The bill sponsors for these two bills reached out to RESOLVE so we were able to offer our perspective on the issues and provide our expertise on bill language. Once introduced, RESOLVE determined that we supported the bills, and we are now asking our community to advocate for these bills with their federal lawmakers.

Right to IVF Act

Introduced in the House and Senate, the Right to IVF Act would help individuals and families who are impacted by infertility by establishing a statutory right to access IVF for all Americans who need it to start or grow a family. It would also expand access to coverage for IVF and fertility treatment by requiring that health plans, including the VA, TRICARE, Medicaid, Medicare, group and individual market plans, ERISA, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, provide coverage for fertility treatment. RESOLVE supports the definitions and terms used in the bill and believes this is one of the most comprehensive bills ever for our community.

HOPE with Fertility Services ACT

The Helping to Optimize Patients’ Experience (HOPE) with Fertility Services Act (HR 8821), was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-5), Congressman Zach Nunn (R-IA-3), Congresswoman Susan Wild (D-PA-7), and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25).

The bill would require private health insurance, offered by employers to their employees, to cover IVF and IUI and fertility preservation services for men and women who face medically induced infertility from treatments like chemotherapy. This bill impacts millions of lives covered by private insurance and is bipartisan.

As advocates with RESOLVE know, there are oftentimes when RESOLVE opposes legislation at the state or federal level, as we deem it will hurt our community or be counter-productive to expanding and protecting access to care. We highlight below three bills in Congress that we do not support and why. While RESOLVE was not contacted by the bill sponsors before the bills were introduced, we do read them carefully once introduced and determine how the bill would be implemented and if any language is potentially harmful to our community. Also, we care deeply about making sure bills do no harm to our community as it can be very difficult – if not impossible – to undo something once it becomes law.

IVF Protection Act

IVF Protection Act S 4368/H.R. 8869, introduced by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Katie Britt (R-AL.) and Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA-10).

RESOLVE opposes this bill as it does not protect IVF; it punishes a state by withholding Medicaid funding if it passes a law that “prohibits” IVF. The bill leaves open the possibility of a state regulating IVF, which can be harmful to IVF access even if IVF is not outright prohibited. The effect can be just as devastating. The bill sponsors have publicly shared that states are too afraid to lose federal funding so this threat would in essence prevent a state from passing a law banning IVF.

The Reproductive Empowerment and Support through Optimal Restoration (RESTORE) Act

The Reproductive Empowerment and Support through Optimal Restoration (RESTORE) Act S 4533; Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS.)

RESOLVE opposes this bill as it promotes non-scientific treatment methods, health education, and research. It does not expand access to care for family building or protect access to IVF.

Right to Try IVF Act

Right to Try IVF Act , H.R. 7669; Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL-13)

RESOLVE opposes this bill as it cuts off funding for Maternal Health Block Grants if a state prohibits a physician from performing IVF. The bill does not protect IVF or expand access to care. The goal of a bill like this is to serve as a deterrent to a state from passing such a bill by cutting off vitally important federal funds for maternal health.

Making your voice heard is more important now than ever before. Sign up to be part of RESOLVE’s Advocacy Network (RAN) to receive information on how and when to act when RESOLVE needs your voice to be heard. Read more about this topic. Thank you for advocating!