Information about the IVF Fund Act

On the 1st of January 2000, the IVF Fund Act came into effect to provide finance for IVF treatment in Austria (amended 2004). This fund follows the guidelines below in covering some of the costs involved in IVF treatments.

Number of Attempts

Each couple is entitled to four attempts at IVF. It is necessary to provide either two health insurance certificates or, in the case of private health insurance, the insurers acknowledgement.

Age Limit at the Start of Each Attempt

The female partner must be no more than 40 years old (cut-off date is the 40th birthday). The male partner must be no more than 50 years old (cut-off date is the 50th birthday).

Medical Indication

• Tubal factor infertility (no tubal ligation)
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
• Endometriosis after preclusion of other sterility factors. The endometriosis should normally be surgically removed before commencing IVF treatment, or else proof of the unsuccessful procedure is required. Since this condition comes in many forms and guises, assessment of such, as well as the requirement of any postoperative medical therapy, is evaluated individually by the attending physician. IVF treatment should be commenced 12 to 18 months after the operation (exception: women over 35 years of age). In addition, a semen analysis test of the male partner is required, which must have been taken within two years of the fund application.

and / or

• Semen pathology: at least one of the following factors must be present in two semen analysis tests (the semen must be examined no more than two years prior to treatment and at least four weeks have to pass between the two spermiograms).

Density: less than 10 million sperm per ml.

Motility: less than 30% of forward progressing sperm,

less than 20% fast forward moving sperm.

Morphology: less than 30% normal forms.

In the case of semen pathology the client qualifies for IVF treatment with additional intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).