Comparison of in vitro fertilization policy in Serbia and other European countries

Abstract

Infertility represents a global problem which affects numerous couples all over the world. One of the most important ways of coping with infertility is in vitro fertilization (IVF). The spread and availability of IVF technology are to a great extent dependent on the policy of financing of its very costly procedures. From the first successful IVF to the present day there has existed an increasing need to introduce appropriate legislative measures and norms, which have been under constant changes. These changes have also been accompanied by changes in financing IVF procedures. In Europe, the majority of EU countries, with the exception of Ireland and Lithuania, have a defined policy of financing, i.e. participating in the costs of reproduction assisted technologies. The share varies from about 90-100% in Belgium, France, Greece, the Netherlands, and Slovenia, and from 30 to 30% in Romania and Spain. In the USA, there is neither a corresponding federal law nor participation in the costs of IVF procedures. The situation in Serbia in this respect has dynamically changed since 2006, the year when the Republic Fund for Health Insurance (RFHI) started to finance IVF. In 2006, the RFHI financed one trial for women aged to 38 years. Presently, the situation is that RFHI covers costs of three IVF trials for women to 42 years old. The article reviews the policy of IVF financing in Serbia and compares it with that in other European countries.