'IVF SURROGACY SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN BASIC INSURANCE FOR ALL FAMILY TYPES'

In May 2022, Minister Ernst Kuipers (Public Health) wrote to the House of Representatives that he wanted to make IVF surrogacy part of the basic insurance. But that wouldn't apply to everyone.

Ten patient organizations and interest groups are therefore calling on the minister to make IVF surrogacy part of the basic insurance for all family types.

IVF SURROGACY

In his proposal, Kuipers wrote that he wanted to adopt the advice of the National Health Care Institute on the reimbursement of IVF surrogacy. The Zorginstituut recommended expanding the basic package of the Health Insurance Act with IVF surrogacy 'in case the intended mother has a medical indication that means she cannot bear fruit herself, but does have her own eggs'.

The ten organizations, including the Royal Dutch Organization of Midwives (KNOV), Patient Federation Netherlands, COC Netherlands and the Transgender Network Netherlands, believe that this advice does not take into account 'the diversity of family forms in 2022', “because the reimbursement does not apply for everyone".

“The signatories would like to see that the right to reimbursement of IVF treatment (by the insurer) applies to all family types, including, for example, male-male couples, solo parents (also LGBTIQ+) and trans persons who wish to have children who do not have eggs ” , write the organizations.

NEW LAW FOR PROSPECTIVE PARENTS

The amendment to the basic insurance would only come into effect after the introduction of another bill: 'Child, surrogacy and descent'. This should ensure that the intended parents immediately become the legal parents of a child as soon as it is born. The surrogate mother is still on the birth certificate.

That bill is still being prepared and is expected to be presented after the summer, Kuipers writes.