Zuschuss zur Kinderwunschbehandlung beantragen

Legal provisions, funding guidelines and further information

Assisted reproduction (artificial insemination)

The Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Women and Health, together with the federal government, supports fertility treatments with up to 1,000 euros. The funding is granted according to the budget funds allocated; there is no legal entitlement.

Funding guidelines

• Guideline to support couples in Saarland in fulfilling their desire to have children (RL-SL-Kinderwunsch) from 26.11.2021 (PDF, 1MB, file is not barrier-free)
• Supplementary guideline to support couples in Saarland in fulfilling their desire to have children (ErgRL-SL-Kinderwunsch) of 26.11.2021 (PDF, 588KB, file is not barrier-free)
• and the directive of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth on the granting of benefits to promote assisted reproduction measures of 29.03.2012, last amended on 23.12.2015.

Basic legal provisions

• §Section 27a SGB V - Statutory health insurance funds - Artificial insemination
• §Section 121a SGB V - Statutory health insurance funds - Authorization to carry out artificial insemination
• Guidelines of the Federal Committee of Physicians and Health Insurance Funds on medical measures for artificial insemination
• Federal Budget Code §§ 23, 44 BHO
• State Budget Code §§ 23, 44 LHO
• General ancillary provisions for grants for project funding (ANBest-P) (PDF, 2MB, file is not barrier-free)

Do you have an unfulfilled desire to have children? Couples can receive financial support for fertility treatment.

Support program for the desire to have children

The Saarland offers financial support for involuntary childlessness with the fertility treatment support program. Here you can find out all about the requirements and how to apply.

Funding for fertility treatment - help and support for involuntary childlessness

The desire to have a child together is of particular importance for the relationship of many couples. If the wish cannot be fulfilled naturally, assisted reproduction measures, so-called fertility treatments, can be a solution. However, the costs of the often lengthy and expensive reproductive medical treatments represent a considerable burden for many couples and may even be unaffordable for some couples.

Funding can be provided in the form of a subsidy on the personal contribution to reproductive medical treatment, which is otherwise not covered by other service providers such as health insurance companies, supplementary insurance, etc. The maximum funding amounts are currently up to €500 of the co-payment, depending on the conditions.

You can find out how to apply for funding for your own contribution, what requirements you need to meet and what you need to bear in mind here on our website.

We have important information for you!

Since 01.01.2022, the Saarland has been funding fertility treatments from state funds together with funds from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth with a subsidy within the available budget.

Procedure and checklist for the Fertility Support Program (PDF, 140KB, file is not barrier-free)

Procedure and checklist for the Kinderwunsch funding program - All steps at a glance:

Documents for the application* - Kinderwunsch funding program

• Copies of the applicants' valid identity cards (see homepage for special cases).
• Copy of marriage certificate if applicable.
• The LAS form "Medical declaration of necessity" as certification of the necessity of reproductive medicine measures in accordance with Section 27 a (1) and (2) SGB V. Integrated therein: The treating doctor's assessment that the couple is living together in a long-term non-marital partnership.
• Approval of the treatment plan (only required for heterosexual couples with statutory health insurance for the first to third treatment cycle).
• Approval of the treatment plan by the statutory health insurance company (only required for heterosexual couples with statutory health insurance for the first to third treatment cycle) and the accompanying letter from the statutory health insurance company (GKV), which lists any additional benefits (subsidies from the GKV).
• Cost plan (cost estimate) in accordance with the German Medical Fee Schedule (GOÄ) of the pediatric clinic for the expected treatment costs including the prescribed medication. (All privately insured persons, unmarried couples, all same-sex female couples and all legally insured heterosexual couples in their fourth cycle).
• Declarations of assumption of costs from private health insurers, supplementary insurers for fertility treatments, aid and welfare offices (if applicable) and corresponding accompanying letters stating further benefits for the treatment (further subsidies from private health insurers).
• Rejection letters/notices from private health insurers, supplementary insurers for fertility treatments, aid and welfare offices and statutory health insurers (if applicable) stating the reason why they will not subsidize the treatment.

• Only the patient's own egg and sperm cells may be used for treatment. Same-sex female couples are an exception here.
• A medical consultation on the medical and psychosocial aspects of fertility treatment must have taken place. This consultation will usually be provided by the specialist treating you before you receive a referral to a fertility clinic. Please note that the consulting doctor may not carry out the fertility treatment themselves. Section 121a SGB V regulates who may provide counseling or treatment.
• A medical declaration (certificate) from your specialist (e.g. gynecologist) or the fertility clinic must be available stating that the fertility treatment is necessary and that there is a reasonable chance that the treatment will result in pregnancy.
• The fertility treatment must be carried out in a clinic or by a doctor based in Saarland or Rhineland-Palatinate.
• The treatment of the respective treatment cycle to be applied for must not have been started yet.
  Prescriptions for or the purchase of medication(s) required for the treatment may only be redeemed or made after the grant notification has been delivered. The redeeming of prescriptions or the purchase of medication for the respective start of treatment is deemed to be the start of treatment (start of measure).If this takes place before receipt of the grant notification, funding can no longer be granted.
• If you wish to apply for a treatment cycle that has already been preceded by one or more treatment cycles, the previous treatments must have been completed and the result (pregnant/not pregnant) must be available.

The services of the LAS are free of charge.

1. Medical advice on the treatment, in particular on the medical and psychosocial aspects, from a doctor who does not carry out the treatment themselves.

1. Obtaining a medical declaration on the necessity and prospects of success of the treatment in accordance with § 27 a Para. 1 Nos. 1 and 2 SGB V.*

1. Preparation of a treatment plan including a cost breakdown or a cost plan by the attending physician at the children's health facility.

1. Obtaining approval or rejection of the treatment plan from statutory health insurance companies or obtaining declarations of cost coverage or rejection from private health insurance companies and, if applicable, from aid/assistance offices or another service provider (supplementary insurance for fertility treatment).

1. Submit an online application for approval of the subsidy to the Saarland State Office for Social Affairs.

1. Wait for the application decision from the LAS. Only then: Fill prescriptions or purchase medication required for fertility treatment.

1. Submit invoices and receipts for treatment costs to health insurance companies and, if applicable, to the aid/assistance offices or to another service provider (if the assumption of costs has been declared).

1. Submit a copy of the application for payment of the subsidy to the LAS with all invoices from the reproduction facility, pharmacy, laboratory and anesthesia (if applicable) and all proof of reimbursement from all health insurance companies involved. The treatment and its settlement with the health insurance companies must be completed within the 12-month approval period specified in the grant notification. The application for disbursement with the attached documents must be received by the LAS no later than the last day of the approval period. Otherwise no payment can be made.

1. The grant will be paid out after the application for payment has been checked by the LAS.

• Approval applications: Processing time currently takes less than 3 days on average once all documents have been received.
• Disbursement applications: The processing time currently takes less than 7 days on average once all subsequent claims have been received.

The application for approval remains valid for 12 months. Payment is only possible during the approval period, i.e. the application for settlement must be submitted on the last day of approval.

General and medical information

• Information portal onthe desire to have children - Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ)
• German Association for Fertility Counseling (BKiD)
• Federal Association of German Reproductive Medicine Centers (BRZ)
• German Society for Reproductive Medicine (DGRM)

https://www.kinderwunsch.saarland.de/

Contradiction

Benefits:

• Funding for fertility treatments for medically induced childlessness
• Eligible forms of treatment up to the 4th treatment attempt:
  • In vitro fertilization (IVF)
  • Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
• Treatment can only begin after receipt of the written grant notification.
• Payment of the grant must be applied for separately after the treatment. The proof of use is checked here.

The most important requirements:

• Joint primary residence in the Saarland
• Age limits: Women 25-40 years, men 25-50 years
• Eligible treatment: In vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in the first four cycles
• Treatment only in approved facilities in Saarland and neighboring Rhineland-Palatinate
• Couples must be able to carry the child themselves.

The procedure:

• Each treatment attempt must be applied for individually.
• Treatment can only begin after receipt of the written grant notification.
• Payment of the grant must be applied for separately after the treatment. This is where the proof of use is checked and the amount of the grant is determined.

Online funding application

Important information: The grant has so far been financed equally from federal and state budget funds. However, the federal funds have been exhausted for the 2024 financial year and no further federal funds are currently available. This means that grants can only be approved from state funds (up to 500 euros).

Applications can still be submitted.

Copies of the following documents must be attached to the online funding application:

• Medical certificate of necessity
  • Form LAS - Medical certificate on the necessity of reproductive medicine measures (docx, 227KB, file is not barrier-free)
  • Form LAS - Medical certificate on the necessity of reproductive medicine measures (PDF, 198KB, file is not barrier-free)
  • Form LAS - Medical certificate on the necessity of reproductive medicine measures (PDF, 105KB, file is not barrier-free)
• Identity cards (both applicants)
• Marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate
• Treatment plan approved by the GKV
• For private health insurance/subsidies/subsidies: Cost plan + medical certificate of necessity + declaration of acceptance or negative notification of subsidy/subsidy

Subsequent submissions:

• If you would like to submit documents for an application that has already been submitted, please send us an email with the following subject line subject "Subsequent submissions" + your file number (if available) to kinderwunsch@las.saarland.de.

Withdrawal of an application:

• Declaration of withdrawal of application for the Kinderwunsch funding program (docx, 103KB, file is not barrier-free)
• Declaration of withdrawal of application for the Kinderwunsch funding program (PDF, 98KB, file is not barrier-free)

Application for disbursement

• The grant can only be claimed after completion of the treatment and settlement with all participating health insurance companies using the following form
• Application for disbursement of the Fertility Support Program (docx, 100KB, file is not barrier-free)
• Application for disbursement for the Fertility Support Program (PDF, 137KB, file is not barrier-free)
• The grant for heterosexual married couples is up to 50 percent of the remaining personal contribution for all four treatment cycles, for heterosexual couples in a non-marital partnership up to 37.5 percent for the first to third treatment cycle and up to 50 percent of the remaining cost price for the fourth treatment cycle. For same-sex female married couples and couples in a non-marital partnership, the allowance for all cycles is a maximum of 25 percent of the remaining personal contribution.
• The maximum amounts for all heterosexual married couples are EUR 1000 for the first to fourth treatment cycle, and EUR 750 for heterosexual cohabiting couples for the first to third treatment cycle and EUR 1000 for the fourth. For same-sex female married couples and couples, the maximum amount of 500 euros applies for all treatment cycles.
• Please notethat the application for payment must be received by the LAS no later than the last day of the approval period specified specified in the grant notice. Applications for payment received after this date must be rejected.