Need to expand health insurance payment for infertility treatment

According to WHO, Vietnam is listed in the group of countries with the lowest birth rate in the Asia- Pacific region. Professor, Dr. Nguyen Viet Tien, former Deputy Minister of Health, emphasized that many couples get married late, have children late, along with modern lifestyle, stress and polluted environment are the main factors leading to infertility.

Health insurance does not currently cover any techniques in the infertility treatment process.

This situation directly affects the birth rate in many localities, especially urban areas such as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, where the birth rate is falling below the replacement level.

In terms of expertise, the level of infertility treatment in Vietnam is currently considered equivalent to other countries in the region, with more than 50 reproductive support centers nationwide. The success rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Vietnam has reached 60% in clinical pregnancy cycles. However, cost remains the biggest barrier.

Our country currently has more than 50 reproductive support centers that can meet the treatment needs of infertile and subfertile people. IVF in Vietnam has achieved a high success rate, with up to 60% of IVF cycles resulting in clinical pregnancy. However, the challenge is that the service price is still high compared to the income of most people.

Many infertile couples long to have children but cannot do so due to financial problems. Therefore, health insurance should support and gradually meet people's wishes for infertility treatment, while contributing to maintaining and stabilizing the quality and quantity of the population.

The leading obstetrics professor pointed out the paradox that patients who undergo treatment for diseases such as fibroid surgery without the need to have children are covered by health insurance, but if accompanied by infertility treatment, they must pay the entire cost themselves.

Health insurance currently does not support any techniques in the infertility treatment process, while many causes come from diseases: ovarian tumors, uterine fibroids, ovarian polyps...

In many countries around the world, infertility is considered a medical condition and health insurance covers it for patients. However, in foreign countries, the premiums are high, so these services are covered by health insurance.

Vietnam’s insurance capacity is not yet able to cover some services, including IVF, with the current insurance premium. Therefore, in the immediate future, health insurance should cover infertile patients with the same medical conditions as others. In the future, if insurance is capable, it should pay attention to this group.

Speaking to reporters on this topic, according to Associate Professor, Dr. Ho Sy Hung, Deputy Director of the National Center for Reproductive Support, Central Maternity Hospital, the cost of an IVF cycle ranges from 50 to 70 million VND, not to mention cases requiring multiple embryo transfers or additional treatment. For low-income couples, this is a figure beyond their ability to pay.

The draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance 2024 is being consulted and will be submitted to the National Assembly at the upcoming October session. One of the notable points is the expansion of the subjects and scope of payment, including serious diseases, rare diseases and diseases requiring high technology.

People who have participated in social insurance for one month or more will be able to pay health insurance (compared to three months previously), thereby helping to increase coverage rates and increase health insurance fund revenue.

The Ministry of Health also proposed that health insurance cover 100% of medical examination and treatment costs for identified diseases without requiring referral papers, in order to save costs and reduce inconvenience for patients. In particular, a new proposal is to allow direct payment of costs when hospitals do not have enough medicine and supplies, a solution to overcome difficulties in the current bidding process.

While waiting for changes in health insurance policies, socialized models are opening up new directions. Quoc Anh IVF Reproductive Support Center, with professional advice from My Duc Hospital, is the first unit in Ho Chi Minh City to implement a low-cost IVF model specifically for low-income families.

The cost for each cycle is only from 19 million VND (fresh embryo transfer) or 29 million VND (frozen embryo transfer), excluding medicine and testing, a price suitable for ordinary workers in Ho Chi Minh City and the Western provinces. The center also aims to reach 100,000 people in the period of 2025 - 2026 through communication activities on reproductive health.

Health insurance to support infertility treatment not only meets the urgent needs of millions of families, but is also part of the long-term national population strategy. Maintaining replacement fertility, limiting population aging, and ensuring sustainable development are goals closely related to people's fertility.

Health insurance policies for infertility treatment should be designed on scientific, financial and ethical grounds, with the collaboration of health professionals, policy makers and community representatives. A humane insurance system is one that leaves no one behind, including those who are quietly looking for a child.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/can-mo-rong-thanh-toan-bao-hiem-y-te-cho-dieu-tri-vo-sinh-hiem-muon-d294439.html