Boost for IVF services gives 'fairer access'

Increased funding for infertility treatment will mean couples have equal access to treatment, says Health Minister Annette King.

She said the Health Funding Authority had approved an extra $3.7 million for fertility services, bringing total funding for the services to $5.8 million.

Under the agreement, one cycle of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) or other treatment to the same value will be financed for people who meet certain criteria.

These will be based on factors including age, health and the number of children someone already has.

"It means patients with similar needs will have similar access to fertility services regardless of where they live," said Mrs King.

"People in New Zealand should not suffer because of where they happen to live."

The Infertility Society welcomed the increased funding but said some people would be disappointed that they would now be entitled to only one IVF treatment.

Executive officer Robyn Scott said the society had hoped the Government would follow the Australian example and provide unlimited treatment for those who met the criteria.

"This will make a huge difference to many hundreds of couples waiting for fertility treatment around the country and the Health Minister should be congratulated.

"We also applaud the decision to make fertility services 'core elective services,' recognising the importance of treatment for infertility in the same way as other aspects of reproductive health, therefore the new elected district health boards cannot opt out."

However, she warned that many couples had already been waiting for treatment for more than two years and might already have been promised two publicly funded cycles under the old rules.

"It will be hard for these couples to now find they will initially only be eligible for one cycle."

Authority spokeswoman Helen Williams said the extra money would remove historical differences in the funding of fertility services, as well as paying for more services.

The new money would be spread across the country.

It would also ensure that providers could offer the same range of treatments nationwide.

Publicly funded fertility services include IVF, donor insemination and intrauterine insemination.

A Wellington woman who has been on the waiting list for IVF treatment for two years said she was pleased with the announcement, even though it meant she would now be entitled to only one publicly funded treatment.

"Under the old system, I might get two but it wouldn't be for at least another year," she said.

Like many others, she had expected treatment about a year ago but was pushed back on the waiting list.

She realised that there was a chance she might not conceive after one treatment, and was prepared to pay about $8000 for another treatment in that case.

National's Wyatt Creech said limiting the treatment to one, as a way of keeping within the budget, meant many people would end up not conceiving.

- NZPA