TOKYO — The wait to see the doctor at Japan’s popular fertility clinic Saint Mother Hospital just got longer.
Starting this week, public health insurance will reimburse 70% of the costs of advanced fertility treatments as part of the government’s attempt to halt a decline in one of the world’s fastest-aging populations.
Atsushi Tanaka, doctor and director of Saint Mother in Kita Kyushu, southern Japan, expects more patients at his clinic, already packed with couples seeking treatments such as in-vitro fertilization, or IVF, which previously cost more than 500,000 yen ($4,090) per cycle — more than the average household’s monthly income.
