Infertility treatment could be offered for free to couples in the United Kingdom if draft guidelines issued by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) are adopted. They propose that in-vitro fertilization (IVF) should be offered to women aged 23 to 39 if they have a diagnosed cause of infertility, or unexplained infertility of 3 or more years' duration. Those younger than 23 years would also be eligible if there is an absolute indication, such as tubal blockage or prior treatment for cancer. Women 40 or older would not be eligible. At least 3 attempts at fertilization would be covered by the National Health Service (NHS).
The British Fertility Society supports the proposal. “We believe it is important to eliminate the current ‘postcode prescribing’ of fertility treatment,” says Chair Alison Murdoch. (“Postcode prescribing” means that the amount of free treatment a British couple is entitled to receive depends on where they live.)
There is no guarantee that the government will agree to the NICE proposals. With each new IVF cycle costing in the region of $6500 (£3000), the NHS could face huge bills should the expected demand materialize. And apart from the cost, could the NHS even cope with the demand? Similar government-funded schemes elsewhere in Europe have vastly increased the number of IVF treatments.
In Canada, the cost of infertility treatment is rarely covered by provincial medicare systems. One exception is Ontario, but only patients with bilateral blocked fallopian tubes are eligible. — Cathel Kerr, Fife, Scotland