One week old baby in Turku. LEHTIKUVA
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Finland will reintroduce state reimbursements for private fertility treatments from May 2025, under a new law approved by Parliament. The system will only cover cases where infertility is due to a diagnosed medical condition, excluding many single women and same-sex couples.
Kela, the Finnish social insurance institution, will manage the reimbursements.
The law limits eligibility to individuals under the age of 43. In cases involving older applicants, Kela will assess reimbursement on the basis of a medical statement.
Reimbursement will apply to treatments and examinations conducted or prescribed by gynaecologists or obstetricians. However, it will not extend to administrative fees, outpatient charges or other non-medical costs.
Kela will also reimburse travel expenses and approved medications related to fertility treatment, provided the applicant meets the same medical and age-based requirements. Reimbursement for medications will only apply if the drugs are already included in the reimbursement system, and if prescribed for a medically diagnosed infertility condition.
Senior Coordinator Merja Larikka from Kela said that the previous system reimbursed about 13 percent of the treatment costs in 2022 and reached over 6,600 patients. The new scheme will offer a significantly higher rate of reimbursement, though most costs will still be paid by the patient.
Estimates by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health put the cost of a private insemination treatment at €600–700, with IVF treatments ranging between €4,200 and €5,000. A single insemination session costing €500 would now receive approximately €200 in reimbursement. IVF reimbursements are expected to cover just under one-quarter of the total cost. The use of donor sperm increases the overall expense.
Despite the new subsidy, only patients meeting the criteria of medical infertility will be eligible. The restriction excludes those seeking fertility treatments for non-medical reasons, such as single women or couples in same-sex relationships.
This exclusion prompted criticism from opposition parties and advocacy groups. Bella Forsgrén of the Green Party, along with members of the Social Democrats and the Left Alliance, submitted a dissenting opinion. They argued that the law failed to account for the diversity of family structures and unnecessarily limited access to support.
Parliament passed the legislation by 101 votes to 54, with 44 members absent. It was supported by the Centre Party, Movement Now’s Harry Harkimo, and independent MP Timo Vornanen. The bill had originally been scheduled to take effect at the start of the year but was delayed during committee discussions.
While Finland’s public healthcare system does not impose the same restrictions on who can access fertility treatments, the new law limits public financial support for those seeking care in the private sector.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health estimated that extending the scheme to include non-medical cases of infertility would have cost under €800,000 annually.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
