Couples trying to have children report that they often spend thousands of euros on this. Some families wonder why, when discussing improving demographic indicators, the main focus is on benefits or pensions rather than real support for those who cannot conceive, writes tv3.lv, citing the Lithuanian public media "LRT."
According to them, assistance for families who want children but cannot have them often remains sidelined, especially when it comes to medical fertilization and its costs, notes tv3.lv.
Recently, a proposal was made in the Lithuanian parliament to lower the threshold for large families receiving a second-degree state pension from five to three children. The initiator of the amendments believes this will help increase birth rates.
In the neighboring country, as in Latvia, measures are being taken to stimulate birth rates — not only increasing benefits is being discussed, but also other forms of financial support. For example, the President of Lithuania proposed exempting families from income tax, but this would only apply to those who would have a second or subsequent child after the law is enacted.
However, according to some residents, stimulating birth rates starts "from the wrong end." For some couples, it is a long, emotionally taxing, and costly process that does not always yield results.
"Consultations, examinations, and procedures cost hundreds, sometimes thousands of euros," explains Migle (name changed). She wonders why such assistance is rarely provided for free or compensated more broadly.
"Currently, state compensation is most often limited to a few artificial insemination procedures. But this is not the first stage; often, it is the last resort," she notes.
Before this, couples undergo a long treatment journey: hormonal and in-depth examinations, ovulation stimulation, cycle monitoring, lifestyle and hormonal balance correction, and other measures — all of which take months.
"For all of this, not only time and emotional resources are needed, but also significant financial means, which mainly fall on the shoulders of the couples themselves. What should families do if a few reimbursable procedures are not enough? Does the desire to have a child become a luxury?" she asks.
In public discourse, it is often said that people do not want children or are waiting for greater financial incentives; however, those who want but cannot have them are rarely mentioned.
"It is important to say clearly: we do not have children not because we do not want them. We do not have them because we cannot conceive. And the further it goes, the more it seems that state policy is focused only on those who have children easily," she says.
In her opinion, one-time benefits or increased payments do not solve the problem — they help those who can already have children, while couples who have been trying for years, paying taxes, and investing in treatment remain almost invisible.
A similar struggle was faced by Vilnius resident Brigita (name changed). Due to long queues in state institutions, she and her husband turned to private specialists.
"Each consultation cost at least 70 euros. Examinations ranged from 50 to 200 euros, medications for one cycle — 50–100 euros. Overall, to have a child, we spent 1500–2000 euros," she recounts.
Even in state institutions, not everything is free — many examinations and procedures are not reimbursed, nor are they covered by private insurance. Some families have to repeat treatments up to 10 times or more. "Some try until it works, while others stop for financial or emotional reasons," she says. The couple is now planning a second child and is already saving money for treatment in advance.
In some cases, expenses can reach tens of thousands of euros.
One treatment cycle in a private clinic in Lithuania costs 5–6 thousand euros, genetic testing — about 2000 euros, embryo freezing — 1000–1500 euros, plus additional storage costs.
Currently, only two treatment cycles are reimbursed in Lithuania — one of the lowest rates in Europe. In comparison, in Latvia, the state covers three procedures of medical fertilization.
"Some countries, such as Estonia, reimburse as many cycles as the couple needs. Lithuania has one of the lowest reimbursement levels in Europe — two cycles are really not enough. If more are needed, couples pay themselves, and the financial burden becomes significant," explains Dr. Rimantas Gričius, head of the infertility section of the Lithuanian Society of Gynecologists.
According to his estimates, if a couple needs to pay for, say, six cycles, the total amount can be no less than 5000 euros or more.
In Latvia, infertility treatment is also included in the state healthcare system, and theoretically, the support mechanisms are quite broad. The state covers not only artificial insemination procedures but also the initial diagnostic stage — consultations with specialists, examinations, and part of the medications.
The process usually begins with determining the causes of infertility — necessary examinations are largely covered by the state, but there are also co-payments: for example, about 4 euros for a doctor's visit and about 21 euros for procedures.
If infertility is diagnosed, the couple can qualify for a state-funded medical fertilization procedure. In Latvia, it is available to women up to 40 years old inclusive — this threshold has been raised in recent years.
However, the state does not cover everything. For example, long-term storage of embryos is not reimbursed.
A significant factor remains the queue system — to receive the service, one must register in a centralized queue, and an invitation for the procedure may come only after several months.
Another important limitation is the volume of funding. If three state-paid procedures are unsuccessful, couples must pay for further treatment themselves.
