PR secures reimbursement for fertility treatment
Promotion of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and guarantee of reimbursement: Around ten per cent of all married couples in Germany are unable to have children, whereas the causes are distributed equally between husband and wife. A 60 per cent pregnancy rate was achieved in the first IVF cycle. Given the high costs of approx. € 5,000 per cycle, the health insurance funds endeavoured to prevent reimbursement with the support of those gynaecologists who were not involved in IVF treatment (due to the high proportion of IVF in the total budget for gynecologists). The social acceptance of IVF was improved in background talks with health policy makers, mailings to the SHI and accompanying media work in the trade and lay press. At the same time Serono’s clients, the IVF gynecologists, received huge support for their work.