In a ground-breaking announcement today, Beijing unveiled its plans to include 16 types of assisted reproduction technology in the city’s health insurance scheme. Set to be implemented from July 1, this move forms part of a broader strategy to address China’s decreasing birth rate.
Deputy Director of Beijing’s Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau, Du Xin, disclosed that the insurance would cover a range of treatments, including in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), embryo transplantation, as well as freezing and storing semen.
This initiative emerges at a critical time as China confronts a significant population dip, marking its first decline in six decades. The birth rate plunged to a historical low of 6.77 newborns per 1,000 people last year, and projections hint at a continued downward trend in 2023.
Last August, China’s National Health Commission urged provinces to reform their policies to encourage fertility. Mirroring this directive, Liaoning, a northeastern province, confirmed in May that it would incorporate assisted reproduction technologies into its health coverage starting July.
Also Read: Breaking Stereotypes: The Imperative for Diverse Representation in Advertising
The timing of Beijing’s announcement is intriguing as it precedes a court ruling involving Teresa Xu, an unmarried Chinese woman. Xu took legal action against a public hospital in Beijing for refusing her request to freeze her eggs due to her marital status.
This case highlights the nation’s heated discussion on fertility rights for unmarried women. In March, government advisers suggested allowing single and unmarried women access to egg freezing and IVF treatments.
Historically, national regulations have constrained unmarried women’s access to fertility treatments such as IVF and egg freezing. However, some private clinics, like those in Sichuan province, have started to provide IVF in response to the birth rate crisis.
Widening access to fertility treatments could ignite increased demand in the world’s largest market, potentially stretching already limited fertility services, investors and industry executives warn. However, it also signals a shift in China’s fertility policies towards more inclusivity and accessibility.
This news is based on a report from Malay Mail.
