Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital

In order to support and assist infertile couples in their dreams of having a baby, and to lighten their financial burden in in-vitro fertilization (IVF), the Ministry of Health and Welfare has implemented the “Expanded Subsidy for infertility treatment (IVF)” (the IVF Subsidy Program) since July 1, 2021. The target of the subsidy program has expanded from members of low and medium-low income households to all infertile couples. If either spouse is a citizen of Republic of China and the wife is under the age of 45, the couple is eligible for the government’s IVF subsidies. Two full years after the implementation of the subsidy program, subsidized couples have successfully delivered around 11 thousand babies, fulfilling the dreams of many infertile couples.

Lightening the Financial Burden of Infertile Couples

In order to alleviate the financial burden of infertile couples, in addition to the current subsidy of up to NT$150,000 per treatment for low and medium-low income households, general infertile couples may apply for up to NT$100,000 per treatment in their initial application and up to NT$60,000 per treatment in subsequent applications. Before a successful birth through IVF, couples may apply for up to 6 subsidies. Couples with infertility may visit designated assisted-reproduction institutions approved by the Health Promotion Administration (HPA), Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) to receive medical treatments and assistance with the online subsidy application. The measure of simplified administration procedures to provide convenience for the public has received a great response and has led to an influx of applications from the public. As of July 9, 2023, 73,736 applications have qualified for the subsidy eligibility, of which 55,044 have completed the treatment and passed the subsidy evaluation.

Making Dreams Come True, the Number of IVF Babies Exceeds 10 Thousand

As of July 9, 2023, 10,383 subsidized couples have successfully delivered 11,636 babies, fulfilling infertile couples’ dreams of having a baby. According to Mr. and Mrs. Wang who have successfully delivered the 10,000th baby, through past health inspection and evaluation, their physician had informed them of the higher risk of pregnancy complications and the more complicated treatment procedures due to their advanced age and other reasons. Their physician had also informed them of the government’s “Expanded Subsidy for infertility treatment (IVF) Program”. Having cooperated adequately with the physician, and submitted online applications for subsidies with the assistance of the hospital, they were able to deliver a healthy full-term baby. The subsidy has also lightened their financial burden. The pair is looking forward to sharing their experience so that more couples can view infertility positively and take advantage of the IVF Subsidy.

Promoting Health, the Chances of Single Live Birth Reaches up to 90% for Single or Double Embryo Transfer

Since transfers of multiple embryos are prone to multiple gestational pregnancies, premature births, and low birth weights, the international trend encourages a reduction in the number of embryos implanted. Through the IVF Subsidy Program, infertile couples are encouraged to undertake single or double embryo transfer in their treatments. The rate of singleton live births among subsidized couples reached 88.0%, and the rate of full-term birth (duration of pregnancy≧37 weeks) reached 74.7%. 76.1% of the newborns have a birth weight greater than or equal to 2500 grams. In comparison to the result statistics of assisted reproduction in 2020, the rates of singleton live births, full-term births, and birth weights of 2500 grams or more showed improvements of 12.3%, 10.0%, and 9.7%, respectively, indicating a positive trend in maternal and newborn health.

Take Advantage of the ideal child-bearing age of “25 to 35 years”, Planning a Healthy Pregnancy

Fertility declines with age. The MOHW urges couples to make reproductive plans sooner rather than later. It is recommended that couples who have had a regular sexual life for over a year and yet have not conceived a baby seek medical advice as soon as possible. If a medical diagnosis shows that IVF treatment is necessary, as long as either spouse is a citizen of Republic of China and the wife is under the age of 45, the couple is eligible for the IVF subsidies. Applications for the subsidy can be made at assisted reproduction institutions approved by the HPA in Taiwan. The application procedures and related information can be found in the In-Vitro Fertilization Zone on HPA’s official website (https://reurl.cc/zerX07), or call HPA’s Assisted Reproduction Consultation hotline at 02-25580900, and a professional staff member will respond to queries immediately.

Data URL link：https://www.hpa.gov.tw/EngPages/Detail.aspx?nodeid=1052&pid=17941