Suga Eyes Expansion of Fertility Treatment Insurance Coverage

Tokyo, Oct. 26 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Monday that the government plans to expand public health insurance coverage for fertility treatment for both men and women.

Suga revealed the plan in a television program of public broadcaster NHK, or Japan Broadcasting Corp. For fertility treatment, public health insurance schemes currently cover only men and women with certain circumstances.

In a parliamentary policy speech on the day, his first since taking office last month, Suga stressed that the government aims for health insurance coverage for fertility treatment at an early date.

In the TV program, Suga expressed his hope that the proposed health insurance coverage for fertility treatment will apply also to men because reasons for infertility lie in men in some cases.

But Suga also said that it will “take time” to realize the insurance coverage expansion. In the meantime, the government will substantially expand necessary support, he added.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]