On 17 November 2023, the Commission adopted a new decision with improved rules for refund of expenses for fertility treatments incurred by JSIS beneficiaries. The changes are set out below:

From now on, staff members (or their spouse or registered partner) no longer need to have a fertility issue linked to a pathology for the fertility treatments to be reimbursed by JSIS.

This opens up reimbursement of intra-uterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) costs for women couples (and single women)!

The Decision however does not cover IVF or IUI costs incurred by non JSIS beneficiaries (meaning costs incurred by a surrogate mother are not covered).

The Decision provides a list of treatments that can be reimbursed, including pharmaceutical fertility treatments, such as ovulation induction agents, or agents to improve sperm quality; surgical fertility treatments, such as laparoscopy, salpingectomy, or surgical resection of endometriosis lesions; and medically assisted reproduction treatments, such as IUI, or in IVF, with patient or donor sperm.

There will be no reimbursements for interventions to reverse a voluntary sterilisation or vasectomy.

For IUI, there is a maximum of six attempts per child. For IVF, there is now a maximum of eight attempts covered per beneficiary, with the first IVF attempt having to take place before the beneficiary’s 45th birthday.

No treatment will be reimbursed beyond the age of 48.

The maximum reimbursement rate is 85%, within the limits set by the relevant regulations.

For some specific treatments (for instance, for the purchase of sperm via a fertility centre, or if an IVF beneficiary is between 45 and 48 years old), a prior authorisation is required before seeking reimbursement by JSIS. The other treatments do not require prior authorisation.

Only treatments incurred from 17 May 2022 onwards are eligible for reimbursement.

The official communication can be found here.