TEHRAN – Salamat Health Insurance Organization offers a variety of services from medical equipment to medicine for infertile couples.

The services include 28 items of medical equipment, 56 laboratory services, 63 drugs for special diseases, 20 surgical services, four subspecialty treatments, and seven medical imaging services, Mohammad-Esmaeil Kameli, an official with the Organization, said on Wednesday.

He went on to say that about 90 percent of the treatment costs in government centers and 90 percent of the costs in other centers, including private, charitable, and non-governmental centers, are covered by Health Insurance.

Insured infertile couples, who have been registered in the Health Insurance system, can enjoy these services.

The health insurance organization covers nearly 45 million people in the country, of whom 12 million receive free health insurance coverage.

Infertility treatment

In 2022, the deputy head of the Organization said a total of 5 trillion rials (around $10 million) had been spent on infertility treatment and population growth in the first six months of the year which began on March 21.

Iran’s universal public health insurance scheme, known as Salamat Health Insurance, covers hospitalization, para-clinical, and outpatient services, including doctor’s visits, radiology, lab tests, and medication costs at any public hospital affiliated with the Ministry of Health.

Mehdi Rezaei stated that some 56 government centers, 44 private centers, and about 30 independent and non-independent public centers are contracting parties with Health insurance.

By a decree issued by President Ebrahim Raisi, the "Law on Family and Youth Support" approved by the Majlis (Iranian Parliament) was notified to the Ministry of Health and the Vice Presidency for Women and Family Affairs.

The Guardian Council approved the law on November 17 to implement a population growth and family support plan for 7 years to change the declining trend of childbearing.

The plan stipulates health insurance for infertile couples, providing services and facilities to working women, providing health and nutrition support packages to mothers and children, educational opportunities for student mothers, providing livelihood support to families, and ongoing medical services to pregnant women.

MT/MG