The government is considering a trial program to subsidize couples who require access to medically assisted reproductive services, the chairman of the Second Standing Committee of the Legislative Assembly, Chan Chak Mo, said yesterday in a media briefing.
Chan was speaking after a committee meeting on the bill. The bill aims to establish a regime to subsidize medically assisted reproduction in Macau.
According to Chan, the need for government support for such services has been raised on several occasions. In light of this, the government affirmed it is considering a trial program, although limited details on the eligibility criteria for couples seeking to access the program were revealed.
Chan noted that the government had historically referred some local couples to receive assisted reproduction services, free of charge, in the neighboring region of Hong Kong. Between 2013 and 2016, the Health Bureau spent over 10 million patacas with this service.
The committee chairman also said that the lawmakers will continue to liaise with the government to agree on program eligibility and how the subsidy plan will work in practical terms. RM
