A group of couples who have undergone IVF treatment in Shandong recently received reimbursement following a policy change that allowed assisted reproduction to be covered under the local public medical insurance system. The policy shift took effect on April 1.

A woman surnamed Wang and her husband surnamed Jiang are among the beneficiaries. They spent over 9,000 yuan ($1,244.1) on the procedure and were reimbursed about 5,000 yuan. Wang will also enjoy medical insurance coverage for subsequent treatments such as embryo transfer.

Nationwide, Shandong, Beijing, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Gansu province have also included assisted reproduction in medical insurance reimbursement.

The policy has helped many couples experiencing infertility.

Lin Yan (not her real name) told Haibao News, a news portal based in Shandong, that her family prepared 100,000 yuan for an IVF-conceived baby because they couldn't guarantee success on the first try.

According to her, the policy has greatly reduced the pressure on many couples.

In August 2022, the National Health Commission and 17 other departments proposed to guide local authorities to consider the capacity of medical insurance (including maternity insurance) funds, relevant technical norms and other factors, and gradually include childbirth analgesia and assisted reproductive technology projects in the scope of fund payments.