~The insurance revolutionises access to infertility treatment and future planning to millions of Indians ~
Bangalore, December 19, 2023. Indira IVF, the largest network of infertility treatment hospitals in India, and SafeTree, a leading insurtech, have announced their collaboration to introduce India’s first insurance to support couples with infertility. The one-of-its-kind health insurance in the country aims to uplift healthcare delivery in the country by helping couples make significant savings in their standalone treatment cost.
The World Health Organisation defines infertility as a disease of the male or female reproductive system that results in the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. In India, an estimated 33-34 million couples in the reproductive age suffer from lifetime infertility however, only 1% of this population approach a credible hospital for their treatment. This can be attributed to a glaring gap in awareness and thereafter, financial constraints faced by families.
Announcing the path-breaking initiative, Dr Kshitiz Murdia – CEO and Co-Founder of Indira IVF said, “As a leader in infertility treatment, we are committed to bridge the awareness gap that exists in the Indian diaspora regarding infertility and subsequently, support individuals on their journey to parenthood. Since our inception and as a part of our social responsibility, we have actively worked to uproot misinformation related to infertility across diverse socio-economic setups. Thus, it was a strategic step for us to address the next gap limiting access to infertility treatment – financial support. We are thrilled to partner with SafeTree who share our vision of equitable infertility treatment in the country and we look forward to creating a notable impact in the lives of countless couples.”
Highlighting the need gap of infertility insurance, Mr Vikas Anand – CEO of SafeTree Insurance said, “Infertility is an emotionally charged experience for any couple. During a consumer research we had conducted, we found that nearly 2 in 3 couples undergoing treatment found it extremely challenging, and over 90% couples lacked the financial support for the same. We noted an emerging sentiment of insurance coverage, especially among the Tier-2 population, where the spending capacity on healthcare delivery is extremely limited. This proposition is a unique and first-of-its-kind to be offered to couples.”
The insurance offering by Indira IVF and SafeTree would first take a proactive approach for 24 months with medical, dietary and psychological consultations to help couples under the age of 35 years conceive naturally. These consultants would support couples by increasing their knowledge and awareness regarding various medical and lifestyle habits, and subsequently enhance their fertility to have children by natural means. In cases that couples are unable to conceive naturally thereafter, the insurance programme would offer cashless treatment of two IUI (intrauterine insemination) and two IVF (in vitro fertilisation), respectively, that includes egg collection, laser assisted hatching, blastocyst culture, and embryo transfer and freezing.
SafeTree extends insurance to oocyte or egg donors and surrogates, as per the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 and Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, respectively. Moreover, the two organisations are developing various fertility assessment tools and insurance products backed by a panel of experts, including dieticians, counsellors and gynaecologists to create a holistic ecosystem pertaining to infertility treatment.
