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Infertility treatment in India is placing a huge financial burden on families. ICMR-NIRRCH study revealed that 90% of couples undergoing IVF are under severe cost pressure. The average cost of one cycle in public hospitals is Rs 1.1 lakh and in private hospitals it is up to Rs 2.30 lakh. More than half of the couples have to take loans and only 5% have insurance coverage. Researchers have recommended inclusion of IVF in PM-JAY and repayment for up to three cycles.
New Delhi. Every mother desires to have a child. This desire is pushing middle class families into the debt trap. We are not doing this but this has been revealed in the new study. Unsafe fertility treatment in India is causing a major financial crisis for families. A new multi-centre study has revealed that almost 90% of couples undergoing IVF (in vitro fertilisation) are burdened with huge expenses. This crisis has come to the fore when an estimated 3.9% to 16.8% of Indian couples in the country are affected by infertility. The study also highlighted the large scale of expenditure in public hospitals. This research has been done by the HTA Resource Hub of ICMR-NIRRCH under the leadership of Dr. Beena Joshi.
Burden of expenditure in government and private hospitals
This study found that the average out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE – Out-of-Pocket Expenditure) for an IVF cycle in public hospitals is Rs 1.1 lakh, while in private hospitals this expenditure reaches Rs 2.30 lakh.
• Forced to take loans: This huge expense forces more than half of the couples to borrow money.
• Lack of insurance coverage: Shockingly, only 5% of couples had any insurance coverage for IVF, and even those who did get coverage, received limited support.
Recommendation for inclusion in PM-JAY
Researchers have estimated the health-system cost of one IVF cycle at Rs 81,332.
• Repayment rate: On this basis, the study has recommended that if IVF is added to the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), the scheme may adopt Rs 81,332 as the repayment package rate.
• Need for improvement: Researchers also pointed out that most of the expenses fall under OPD care, and the current structure of PM-JAY does not include OPD costs. PM-JAY will need to amend its structure to make IVF coverage meaningful.
• Number of cycles: In line with CGHS criteria and NICE guidelines, researchers have suggested considering relapses of up to three IVF cycles.
quality of life and stress
Financial stress is not limited to IVF only. About 25% of couples undergoing treatment for non-IVF conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, tubal disease also experienced high expenses.
• Stress: Quality of life was found to be significantly worse among couples undergoing treatment, especially couples undergoing IVF.
• Emotional effects: Women reported greater pain, anxiety, and depression, while men also had increased anxiety scores.
