by InTrieste
The regional government of Friuli Venezia Giulia has approved a measure aimed at expanding access to donor-assisted fertility treatments, allocating €180,000 to public and affiliated private medical centers across the region. The funds, proposed by Regional Health Councilor Riccardo Riccardi, are intended to reimburse clinics for the procurement of donor gametes, costs that are not covered under existing tariff structures.
The initiative is designed to ease the financial burden on couples pursuing heterologous medically assisted procreation — procedures that use donor sperm or eggs — and to ensure broader, more equitable access to fertility services.
“We want to make the path for couples facing infertility simpler and less costly,” Riccardi said in a statement. “This is a concrete form of support that guarantees equal access to heterologous procedures without leaving families to shoulder additional expenses.”
The distribution of funds is based on the volume of fertility services provided over the past two years: 25.6 percent will go to the Western Friuli Health Authority (Asfo), 28.5 percent to the Friuli Centrale Health Authority (Asufc), and 45.9 percent to the Giuliano Isontina Health Authority (Asugi), which includes Trieste and Gorizia.
Health authorities will reimburse public and contracted private fertility centers according to the treatments performed throughout 2025. The measure also outlines eligibility criteria: reimbursements will apply only to costs incurred for couples in which at least one partner has been a resident of Friuli Venezia Giulia for the past two years. Clinics must provide detailed documentation of the procedures performed and the portion of costs not covered by standard tariffs, with cumulative invoices permitted if accompanied by complete records.
Riccardi said the policy aims to ensure uniform procedures across the region and to respond to a growing demand for donor-assisted techniques. It also seeks to support specialized centers as they navigate rising costs associated with the procurement of reproductive materials.
