The canton of Vaud will not short-circuit federal policy to support couples who would like to use in vitro fertilization (IVF) but which cannot afford it financially. This is the decision that was made Tuesday at the Grand Council. The Council of State has analyzed the possibility of finding a cantonal solution to the fact that basic health insurance does not support IVF (read box).
It is at the federal level that basic insurance is deciding. “It is not desirable to introduce a breach by taking the financing of a service not covered by basic insurance, which would create a precedent towards the Confederation and the insurers”, concluded the Vaudois Council of State. Especially since, at the federal level, it is starting to move. The commission which examines what must be reimbursed or not is doing so with IVF after a request filed in 2021. “It is not possible at this stage to transmit a specific calendar”, relativizes the OFSP.
“The Council of State proposes to wait for the result of the request for management of IVF, which could lead,” says the latter. Which would make an unnecessary cantonal solution. But what is certain is that many couples give up this treatment today for lack of means. It is estimated that IVF costs around 10,000 francs. It was found that wherever IVF was taken care of, their number has increased sharply. If this was the case in Switzerland, “the number of annual IVF in the canton of Vaud (1400) could be multiplied by five,” said the Council of State.
-At the Grand Council on Tuesday, only a handful of left -wing deputies deplored the decision to wait. “The absence of IVF management is one of the shocking gaps in the Lamal,” said Hadrien Buclin (Eàg). “The canton could play a pioneering role on Switzerland by granting financial aid to couples in need,” he said.
In terms of medically assisted procreation, today in Switzerland, several attempts at ovarian stimulation have been reimbursed for 12 months as well as three intrauterine inseminations. But IVF, not a penny. Only an insurer, Sanitas, offers assistance in an additional insurance model. Insurance covers 75% of IVF costs, but at most 12,000 francs after a waiting period of 24 months after the start of medical assistance, which generally begins with stimulation or inseminations, Refunded by the base, before turning to IVF.
