Shanghai is set to include 12 assisted reproductive medical services into its health insurance coverage in a move to encourage an increase in China's birth rate.
Effective June 1, expenses related to procedures like egg retrieval, sperm retrieval, artificial insemination, embryo culture, and embryo transfer will be covered by healthcare plans, according to a circular jointly issued by the city's Healthcare Security Bureau, Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, and Health Commission.
Currently, this healthcare coverage has been extended to 17 out of the 20 medical institutions in Shanghai that provide assisted reproductive medical services.
The inclusion of these 12 services encompasses the majority of assisted reproductive technologies, effectively alleviating both economic and psychological pressures on patients and their families, said Zhang Ting, a doctor at the reproductive medicine department of Renji Hospital.
For example, healthcare insurance will cover 70 percent of the egg retrieval cost, amounting to 2,500 yuan (approximately $352) per procedure, with each patient eligible for coverage up to three times at a single medical institution, Zhang explained.
Reference(s):
Shanghai healthcare to cover costs of assisted reproductive services
cgtn.com
