Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks files IVF tax credit bill

U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, has introduced legislation that would provide a tax credit of up to $30,000 to individuals and couples pursuing in vitro fertilization, her office announced Monday.

“Every life is precious, and we have a moral imperative to support those who wish to become parents," Miller-Meeks said in a statement. "By providing financial assistance through this refundable tax credit, we are not only making IVF more accessible but also empowering individuals and families to realize their dreams of parenthood. This bill is a commitment to supporting life and the choices of families across our nation.“

IVF is a fertility treatment in which a fertilized egg is implanted into a patient's uterus. The process can take more than a month and cost between $15,000 and $30,000, depending on the patient's needs and where it’s done, according to the Forbes Health.

Miller-Meeks represents Iowa's 1st Congressional District, which covers the southeastern part of the state, including Iowa City, the Quad Cities and Muscatine.

The IRS already allows a limited medical expenses deduction relating to IVF treatments, but the proposed bill would provide a credit for a range of IVF-related costs, such as transportation to and from services, egg retrievals and transfers, counseling, lab fees and ultrasounds.

A review by Mercer of employee health insurance plans found that 28 percent of large employers — 500 or more employees — covered in vitro fertilization in 2020, up from 23 percent in 2015. For companies with 20,000 or more workers, coverage grew from 35 percent to 38 percent in those five years.

Democrats have sought to connect access to IVF to Republicans' broader anti-abortion position after a decision by the Alabama Supreme Court that frozen embryos could be considered children temporarily halted access to IVF.

But that court's decision came with backlash from the left and some on the right. Republican leaders in Alabama quickly passed a law shielding fertility clinics from liability for discarding embryos.

In a May Gallup poll, 82 percent of Americans surveyed said IVF is morally acceptable, and Donald Trump told NBC News in an interview he wants to make IVF paid for by the government or insurance companies if elected.

Miller-Meeks is facing a re-election challenge from Democrat Christina Bohannan, a University of Iowa law professor who is emphasizing abortion access in her race to unseat Miller-Meeks. One Bohannan ad claims Miller-Meeks is “pushing to ban all abortions nationwide with no exceptions for rape or incest.”

In Congress, Miller-Meeks co-sponsored the 2021-22 Life At Conception Act that states life begins at fertilization, banning all abortions. It has no exceptions for rape, incest or the woman’s life, and does not specify protections for fertility treatments.

Miller-Meeks did not sign on as a sponsor of the resolution in the current Congress. She has said she supports a national 15-week ban on abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.

Miller-Meeks has not signed onto a bipartisan bill that aims to put into law federal protections for IVF.

Bohannan said in a Monday email that Miller-Meeks “has a long pattern of attacking women's reproductive freedom, including IVF fertility treatments. Her record is as clear as it gets — she doesn’t believe women should be able to decide if, how, and when they should start a family.”

“Now, when it’s politically convenient, she’s trying to rewrite history. As someone who went through IVF to try and have a second child, I’m disgusted that politicians like Mariannette Miller-Meeks are playing politics with women’s rights, freedoms, and health care.”

Comments: swatson@qctimes.com