TY - JOUR
T1 - The revision of the French bioethics law and the questions it raises for the future of funding for egg freezing
AU - De Proost, Michiel
AU - Johnston, Molly
N1 - Funding Information:
Declaration: The authors report no financial or commercial conflicts of interest.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd.
PY - 2022/4
Y1 - 2022/4
N2 - After two years of parliamentary discussion, Emmanuel Macron's government in France enacted the new bioethics law. What stands out in the revision of the bioethics law is the decision to offer partial reimbursement of the clinical procedure costs of ‘non-medical’ egg freezing, making France the first country in the world to do this. Our contention in this brief commentary is that the recent change in the French law presents an opportunity to reflect on the provision of public funding for egg freezing, including for what reasons funding is justifiable. The medical/non-medical distinction is used to distribute funding for egg freezing in many jurisdictions, worldwide. However, under the revised French bioethics law, this is the first instance where, for the purpose of determining eligibility for funding, the reason for egg freezing is irrelevant as public funding is available for both medical and non-medical egg freezing. This challenges the justification of using the medical/non-medical distinction within funding policies and prompts further consideration about whether this distinction is still relevant to funding decisions.
AB - After two years of parliamentary discussion, Emmanuel Macron's government in France enacted the new bioethics law. What stands out in the revision of the bioethics law is the decision to offer partial reimbursement of the clinical procedure costs of ‘non-medical’ egg freezing, making France the first country in the world to do this. Our contention in this brief commentary is that the recent change in the French law presents an opportunity to reflect on the provision of public funding for egg freezing, including for what reasons funding is justifiable. The medical/non-medical distinction is used to distribute funding for egg freezing in many jurisdictions, worldwide. However, under the revised French bioethics law, this is the first instance where, for the purpose of determining eligibility for funding, the reason for egg freezing is irrelevant as public funding is available for both medical and non-medical egg freezing. This challenges the justification of using the medical/non-medical distinction within funding policies and prompts further consideration about whether this distinction is still relevant to funding decisions.
KW - Assisted reproductive technology
KW - Egg freezing
KW - French bioethics law
KW - Funding
KW - Oocyte cryopreservation
KW - Social egg freezing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85124218871&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.rbmo.2021.12.002
DO - 10.1016/j.rbmo.2021.12.002
M3 - Comment / Debate
C2 - 35125296
AN - SCOPUS:85124218871
SN - 1472-6483
VL - 44
SP - 591
EP - 593
JO - Reproductive BioMedicine Online
JF - Reproductive BioMedicine Online
IS - 4
ER -