Busan City expands support for treatment costs for infertile couples in 2024

The city of Busan has introduced a childbirth support card for infertile couples to solve the population cliff problem caused by low birth rates. The plan is to overcome the low birth rate crisis by guaranteeing more broadly the reproductive rights of infertile couples who have a clear will to have children.

Busan City announced on the 5th that it will significantly expand support for infertile couples this year, following the support for fertility preservation medical expenses that was introduced and implemented for the first time in the country last month.

Accordingly, support for infertility treatment costs will be expanded starting this month. The infertility treatment cost support project is a project that provides treatment costs of up to 1.1 million won per time to infertile couples living in Busan who need in vitro fertilization or artificial insemination treatment. Different subsidies are paid depending on the type of in vitro fertilization (fresh/frozen embryo) and artificial insemination procedure. The total number of supports for in vitro fertilization procedures has been expanded from 16 to 20, and the maximum number of supports for each procedure (9 for fresh embryos and 7 for frozen embryos) has been abolished to provide integrated support within the total number of supports regardless of procedure. In addition, we are discussing with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to ensure that people can receive the maximum amount of subsidies, which are paid differently depending on age, regardless of age, based on the age of 44.

Starting in April, a new project to support assisted reproductive technology using frozen eggs and a pre-pregnancy health care support project will be promoted. The assisted reproductive technology support project using frozen eggs supports the cost of the procedure up to two times per couple with a limit of 1 million won per session, and in the case of the pre-pregnancy health management support project, the cost of essential fertility screening is supported up to 150,000 won per couple.

In particular, various policies are being promoted to strengthen the guarantee of reproductive rights for infertile couples living in Busan. A representative example is the fertility preservation medical expenses support project that has been introduced and implemented nationwide for the first time since last month.

This project is a project that supports assisted reproductive technology and infertility prevention medical expenses up to 2 million won per year for households with an income of 180% or less of the standard median income among married people aged 19 to 44 living in Busan who are concerned about impaired fertility.

In 2019, the city became the first city in the country to abolish income restrictions on eligibility for infertility treatment expenses, and starting this year, it also abolished regional restrictions on infertility treatment expenses. The medical institutions that support infertility treatment costs have been expanded from Busan City’s contracted medical institutions to infertility treatment medical institutions designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare nationwide.

Applications for subsidy for infertility treatment expenses can be made online through the Government 24/e Public Health Center public portal or through consultation by calling or visiting a nearby public health center in person.

Lee So-ra, director of the Busan City Civil Health Bureau, said, “We will be able to reduce the financial burden of pregnancy and childbirth by providing expanded support to infertile couples who have a clear will to have children even amidst the low birth rate crisis,” and added, “We will work harder to make Busan a good place to have and raise children.” “He said.

Busan = Reporter Oh Seong-taek [email protected]

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