Concerns existing parents will miss out under IVF funding plans

Thursday 22 August 2024

The politician behind a bid to improve fertility funding in the island has raised concerns that the proposed new criteria will see existing parents who are struggling to conceive another child miss out on crucial funding.

Politicians backed an amended version of Deputy Lucy Stephenson's proposition to replace the current means-tested system for In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) funding earlier this year.

Health and Community Services yesterday published proposed criteria for IVF funding which would replace the current system that only funds the fertility treatment for couples with a combined income of less than £40,795.

Pictured: The proposed new eligibility criteria for would fund three IVF cycles for households with a gross annual income of less than £82,300.

The new criteria will be introduced from 1 January 2025 if the States Assembly approves the funding as part of the Government Plan debate, scheduled for November 2024.  

However, alongside the financial criteria, couples must also meet a set of additional specifications to qualify for funding under the new model.

Part of this is the requirement for the couple to be in a stable relationship, and for both partners to be childless – including children from previous relationships.

Deputy Stephenson raised concerns that islanders with secondary infertility – defined as the inability to conceive or carry a baby to term after previously giving birth – would not be eligible for funding under the proposed new model. 

Pictured: To be eligible for IVF funding under the new model, neither your or your partner can have children – including adopted and biological children, and children from previous relationships.

Deputy Stephenson said: "I am concerned that the changes will see some islanders who had previously had access to drug funding for IVF cycles removed altogether if they do not qualify under the new criteria, for example those suffering from secondary infertility (so they already have a child or children)."

"I would like to see this addressed with future policy improvements," she added.

 However, the politician welcomed the publication of the new access criteria as a "big step in the right direction".

Agreed - secondary infertility is also quite common (I suffered from it). Sadly those ppl currently receive medication funding but that will be removed in January and replaced with this. As soon as we have data on use and costs I’ll be looking to make improvements

— Lucy Stephenson (@LucyStevoJSY) August 21, 2024

"I am hopeful the States Assembly will approve the funding for in the autumn and then it can start making a difference for islanders as soon as possible in the new year," she said.

"We do not means test for access to any other type of healthcare, and I continue to be of the view that nor should we for fertility treatment.

"However, this is a big step in the right direction and will make a meaningful difference to the affordability of IVF treatment for many islanders.

"Increased public funding and recognition of the disease of infertility will also, I hope, lead to better data being collected by our government, which can then help to inform future policy decisions and, hopefully, more improvements."

Deputy Stephenson added: "I’m grateful to the Health Minister and his team for their work on this following my proposition, and for their continued engagement on an issue which impacts up to one-in-six in our community but has been ignored for too long."

Pictured top: Deputy Lucy Stephenson has been candid about her own struggles with infertility.