The government intends to expand public medical insurance coverage for infertility treatment to include treatments and tests recommended by the Japan Society for Reproductive Medicine in its guidelines.
Newly covered treatments would include in vitro fertilization and surgery to treat male infertility, with the government aiming to apply the changes from fiscal 2022. The matter will be discussed at the Central Social Insurance Medical Council (Chuikyo).
Last month, the medical society evaluated 113 items, including infertility treatments, tests and medications being administered in the nation, and rated how strongly they are recommended, using a descending scale from A to C. Of the 113, those labeled A, or "highly recommended," and those labeled B, or " recommended," will be covered by public medical insurance in principle.
Level A items include in vitro fertilization, surgery to extract sperm from the testes, and male infertility treatments using Viagra and other drugs for impotence. Level B includes preimplantation tests, which are aimed at preventing miscarriages, for women who have had two consecutive miscarriages.
Treatments ranked at level C will not be covered by public medical insurance because of their weak foundation. However, in exceptional cases, some will be considered to be advanced medical treatments that can be used in conjunction with treatment covered by health insurance, and their effectiveness and safety will be verified. This area includes treatments in which the growth of a fertilized egg is photographed over time with a special device to choose eggs that have a high chance of resulting in pregnancy.
The official fees for these medical treatments and tests will be decided by the Chuikyo early next year.
Some fertility treatments are currently covered by public health insurance, but advanced measures are not. A national survey found in vitro fertilization costs about 500,000 yen per round in average. Since such treatments often require several rounds before success is achieved, they place a huge burden on couples who are struggling to have children.
Last year, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced a policy to expand insurance coverage for fertility treatments to fight the nation's chronically low birthrate.
According to a 2015 survey conducted by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, about 20% of couples had undergone infertility treatments or tests.
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