Poland’s Health Ministry has revised IVF funding criteria for 2026, prioritizing clinic success rates and raising fears of unequal access based on age and health.
New IVF Rules for 2026: Funding Controversy
The Polish Ministry of Health has altered the rules for distributing funds allocated to the government’s in-vitro fertilization (IVF) program in 2026. Experts contend the new allocation method may violate the constitutional prohibition of discrimination based on age and health status, and fail to guarantee equal access to healthcare services.
Success Rates as the Basis for Funding
The new system is based on treatment success rates reported by program implementers in their 2025 annual reports.
How Funds Will Be Distributed
Evaluated metrics include clinical pregnancy rates per cycle, per couple, and per transfer for women under 34, between 35-39, and over 40, as well as multiple pregnancy rates. Each metric receives a specific point value, with higher scores awarded for greater effectiveness—over 50% clinical pregnancy rate per cycle earns up to 8 points. Lower multiple pregnancy rates are incentivized.
Clinics can earn a total of 44 points, which determine their base effectiveness percentage and subsequent funding level.
Why the Criteria are Controversial
GYNCENTRUM experts point out that achieving maximum points requires exceeding 50% success rates across all three age categories, which contradicts current biological understanding, as a woman’s age is the most significant factor influencing fertility and IVF success.
Interconnected Metrics and Potential Disadvantages
The adopted indicators are interconnected; “per cycle” effectiveness impacts “per couple” and “per transfer” rates, meaning a decline in one criterion automatically lowers others, potentially widening scoring gaps. The relatively high weighting of multiple pregnancy rates could encourage more transfers of two or more embryos, impacting patients.
Improvements in effectiveness do not increase funding, only prevent reductions, potentially discriminating against clinics consistently improving their success rates. Concerns exist that the evaluation system may favor younger, healthier patients with better prognoses, limiting access for older couples or those requiring more complex therapies.
IVF Access and Patient Age: Fairness Questioned
Experts emphasize the program should support all couples struggling with infertility, not just those with the best chances of success. Many patients may require multiple cycles, some of which may not result in embryo transfer if all embryos fail genetic testing.
Clinics providing comprehensive and responsible treatment may show lower success rates while enhancing safety and quality of care.
Program Results to Date
Since the program’s launch on June 1, 2024, 5,023 boys and 5,032 girls have been born. The majority of births occurred in the Mazowieckie (1988), Małopolskie (1218), Pomorskie (1213), and Wielkopolskie (1210) voivodeships. 58 clinics participate in the program, resulting in 23,691 clinical pregnancies.
Funding Levels
At least 500 million złoty is allocated annually from the state budget for the program, with 600 million złoty spent in 2025. The budget for 2026 includes a planned increase of 100 million złoty.
