By Morgan Sweeney
The Center Square

The Trump administration has struck another deal with a big pharmaceutical player, this time in the fertility space.

EMD Serono, a subsidiary of German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA, is the latest drug manufacturer to make a deal with the administration to offer discounted pricing to state Medicaid programs and on TrumpRx.gov, an online marketplace facilitating the direct-to-consumer sale of pharmaceuticals.

But Thursday’s announcement included an element unique from the other two the administration has made so far (with Pfizer and AstraZeneca). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is now encouraging employers to offer a fertility benefit to their employees, in addition to the medical and other benefits employers often provide.

“For the first time ever, we will make it legal for companies to offer supplemental insurance plans specifically for fertility,” Trump said. “I’m asking all employers to make these new fertility benefit options available to their employees immediately.”

A round of fertility treatments for a couple trying to conceive can cost up to $25,000 per cycle and part of that expense is the cost of the drugs involved.

“This will make all fertility care, including IVF, far more affordable and accessible. And by providing coverage at every step of the way, it will reduce the number of people who ultimately need to resort to IVF, because couples will be able to identify and address problems early,” the president said.

Currently, Americans can more easily obtain insurance that covers in vitro fertilization or some fertility services through larger employers, as 70% already offer IVF coverage, according to some statistics shared by the White House. But the administration wants to see that kind of coverage become more common among employers big and small by legalizing the ability for employers to offer standalone benefit packages for fertility services.

Popular fertility drugs made by EMD Serono will also be available at deeply discounted rates on TrumpRx, though only to those not using insurance.