(Yicai) Oct. 29 -- China plans to implement a broad range of measures, including bringing the cost of assisted fertility under regional medical insurance systems, with the aim of reducing the financial burden of childbirth amid a declining birth rate.

The State Council called on local governments to lower the costs associated with childbirth, child-rearing, and education in a policy document released yesterday. It includes guidance for regions to cover assisted reproduction technology expenses under medical insurance.

Provincial-level regions have been including assisted fertility in their medical insurance coverage since February, with full implementation across all provinces expected by year-end, according to local authority notices.

China’s birth rate has been declining since 2016, driven by factors such as increasing living costs, later marriages, and a preference among younger people for smaller families. The addition of ART in local medical insurance coverage is a step in tackling this major demographic challenge.

Around 40,000 people in Jiangsu province have benefited after assisted fertility costs were included in its medical insurance on July 1, according to official data. Under the province’s new policy, about 80 percent of the CNY11,400 (USD1,600) needed for in vitro fertilization can be reimbursed.

The cabinet’s policy document also recommends additional measures to support fertility, including financial subsidies for couples having children, guaranteed access to state-mandated benefits such as maternity and parental leave, expanded healthcare services for young children, and universal childcare services.

Fertility-friendly healthcare policies can improve the childbirth experience and reduce related costs, Jin Niu, a lecturer in public finance and administration at Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, told Yicai.

According to estimated from Guangdong Provincial Fertility Hospital, most out-of-pocket expenses for fertility-related services have fallen after being added to the province's medical insurance. For example, the cost of IVF has roughly halved, while expenses for services such as embryo transfer and culture have dropped by an average of more than 15 percent.

The National Healthcare Security Administration will work to expand maternity insurance coverage and steadily increase financial protection for insured individuals for medical expenses related to childbirth, Director Zhang Ke said at a press conference yesterday.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev