Costs

The costs for these treatments are unfortunately no longer fully covered by health insurance schemes. Below we have provided an outline of the most important legal requirements and costs.

Latest legislation

According to the Law (Section 27a of the German Social Security Code, Book V (SGB V) - Healthcare Modernisation Act of 1.1. 2004), 50 percent of the costs for medical services related to insemination or IVF/ICSI are covered by the statutory health insurance schemes for up to three complete treatments; the remaining 50 percent must be billed privately to patients. Similarly, 50 percent of the costs for the necessary medication must be paid privately. Prior to commencing with therapy, the health insurer must be provided with a treatment and cost schedule.

Furthermore, consultation with the referring specialist must conclude that artificial insemination is indicated. Additionally, proof must be provided that the woman has been vaccinated against rubella (by testing for rubella antibodies), and that neither partner tests positive for HIV (tested during the previous 3 months).

Once a child has been born, a further three treatments may be undertaken provided the same requirements are fulfilled.

Exceptions to these regulations are:

• Couples in whom one or more partner is under the age of 25 and couples in whom the woman is 40 or older (i.e. from the 40th birthday onwards) or the man is 50 or older (from 50th birthday onwards).
• Couples in whom the woman has undergone tubal ligation (tying of the fallopian tubes) or the man has undergone spermatic cord ligation, irrespective of any surgical procedures which may have been performed to reverse such conditions.
• Couples who are not married.
• Couples in whom donor sperm is to be used (egg donation is strictly forbidden in accordance with section 1 I No 1 of the German Embryo Protection Act (ESchG)).
• Couples who are on social welfare. In this case the couples are issued private bills for all medical costs as well as private prescriptions for all necessary medication.
• Couples granted reimbursement for their fertility treatment within the framework of Integrated Medical Care. Further information on the subject of integrated medical care can be found on the website of the Bavarian Professional Association of Reproductive Medicine: Berufsverband der Bayrischen Reproduktionsmedizinischen Zentren

Treatment abroad

In recent years, clinics in neighbouring European countries have been advertising their services with attractive offers and better prospects of success. In Austria in particular there are clinics which claim that the Austrian Embryo Protection Act differs fundamentally from that in Germany and thus offers better success rates. Such claims should not be taken lightly. It is often suggested that blastocyst transfer in Germany, for example, is not possible or that viable embryos are not identified. Blastocyst transfer has been practised in Germany for many years – the word blastocyst is not mentioned in the German Embryo Protection Act. The "official" pregnancy rates in Austria and Germany hardly differ at all when comparing the actual figures in the IVF registers. The statistics of individual providers are often glossed over and should be viewed very critically. When it comes to attractive prices, it must be remembered that abroad there are often "extra charges" for consultations, ultrasounds or blood tests. Treatment often proves, therefore, to be more expensive than in Germany. Couples contemplating treatment abroad should also consider that the risk of multiple pregnancies can be much higher, since in other countries the transfer of three or four embryos is common practice.