BARMER fertility coverage in Germany: reimbursement, subsidy, application 2026
Updated on October 3, 2026 · Fertilio Editorial Team
This page covers Germany only.
What BARMER pays for fertility treatment
BARMER pays what Section 27a of Book V of the German Social Code (Sozialgesetzbuch V, SGB V) requires: 50% of the costs it approved with the treatment plan, medication included (Directive on Assisted Reproduction, KB-RL, No. 9.2). According to BARMER's benefits page, this applies to up to three attempts each of IVF and ICSI, up to three inseminations after stimulation, and up to eight in a natural cycle.
BARMER offers no benefit under its bylaws. As of the 38th amendment of July 21, 2026, the bylaws do not regulate assisted reproduction, insemination, or cryopreservation. The family budget under Section 28d (up to €200) applies only to pregnancy. For further subsidies, BARMER refers you to funding from the federal government and the states.
You pay out of pocket for what the insurance funds do not cover. According to the fertility clinic vitro-med, this includes, among other things, TESE, assisted hatching, blastocyst culture, cryopreservation, and the cryo cycle. BARMER covers the freezing of egg or sperm cells only before a therapy that damages germ cells (Section 27a, paragraph 4, SGB V).
| Insurance fund | Extra for 3 IVF attempts* | What the fund pays in addition | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BARMER | €0 | No additional benefit, only the statutory 50% | Statutory requirements under Section 27a SGB V | BARMER benefits page, no provision in the bylaws Bylaws as of July 21, 2026 |
- By law, all insurance funds cover 50% for up to three attempts at IVF or ICSI (Section 27a SGB V). The table shows what individual funds pay in addition, sorted by the example value.
- * Example: insurance fund rates of around €3,000 per IVF attempt including medication, subsidies as a maximum value if both partners are insured with the fund. You can calculate your own case with the cost calculator.
- Unmarried couples do not receive a subsidy from any statutory insurance fund, not even through bylaw benefits (Federal Social Court [Bundessozialgericht, BSG], B 1 A 1/14 R).
- Bylaw benefits often change on January 1. Get the fund's written commitment before treatment begins.
Requirements and special rules at BARMER
On its benefits page (updated February 17, 2026), BARMER lists these conditions:
- You are married and use only your own eggs and sperm.
- Both of you are at least 25, the woman is under 40, and the man is under 50.
- A doctor has determined that treatment is necessary, and a doctor who is not treating you has counseled you.
- The HIV status of both of you is known.
- BARMER does not pay after a sterilization for personal reasons.
BARMER spells out one special rule: “Same-sex married couples unfortunately have no entitlement to coverage.” The reason lies in the law: Section 27a allows only the spouses' own eggs and sperm, so donor sperm is ruled out. According to the state guidelines, female couples receive state funds in Bremen, Hesse (for the 4th attempt), Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland. For tax purposes, the Federal Fiscal Court (Bundesfinanzhof, BFH) has recognized the treatment costs of a woman with infertility in a same-sex partnership (VI R 47/15).
Applying for BARMER coverage step by step
- Counseling and tests: Counseling from a doctor who is not treating you, and an HIV test for both of you.
- Treatment plan: The fertility clinic draws it up with the costs per cycle. Submit it before treatment begins and wait for approval.
- Time limit: According to BARMER, the approval is valid for one year. After that, you need a follow-up plan.
- Funding: In a state that offers funding, the application must be filed before treatment begins.
- Out-of-pocket cost: According to BARMER, the practice bills you privately for it.
Example calculation: out-of-pocket cost at BARMER
An example, not a promise: A married couple, both insured with BARMER, needs ICSI. Billing follows insurance fund rates. For its KV district (Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians), the fertility clinic vitro-med states €1,480.08 for the medical service and about €1,800 for medication per cycle.
| 1 attempt | 3 attempts | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost at insurance fund rates | €3,280.08 | €9,840.24 |
| BARMER, 50% | €1,640.04 | €4,920.12 |
| Your out-of-pocket cost | €1,640.04 | €4,920.12 |
The fertility clinic in Augsburg (Kinderwunschzentrum Augsburg) states an out-of-pocket cost of €1,400 to €1,900 per cycle for ICSI, and the example falls within this range.
If you live in Saxony and the clinic is in Saxony or a neighboring state, the federal government and the state cover up to 50% of the out-of-pocket cost for married couples, at most €900 per ICSI in attempts 1 to 3. Your share then drops to €820.02 per attempt. The rest can be deducted as an extraordinary burden, to the extent that it exceeds the reasonable burden (Deducting fertility treatment costs for tax purposes).
In the calculator, you select BARMER, and it then calculates with only the statutory 50%.
This section applies to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Who qualifies for the IVF Fund (IVF-Fonds)?
The IVF Fund pays for problems with the fallopian tubes, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or male infertility, if the woman is under 40 and her partner is under 50. You are married, in a registered partnership, or living together; you are insured; at least one of you has a primary residence in Austria; you hold Austrian, EEA, or Swiss citizenship or a suitable residence permit; and you are treated at one of the 27 contracted centers. After a deliberate sterilization, such as a vasectomy, the fund pays only if the other partner has one of these diagnoses themselves. Four new attempts are available only after a pregnancy through IVF, ICSI, or frozen embryo transfer, even if you paid for that attempt yourself.
For the deductible, what counts is what basic health insurance has already billed this year.
Estimate tax savings
- Treatment costs
- Health insurance fund
- Federal and state funding
- Your out-of-pocket cost
- Tax savings (estimated)
- Net cost after tax
Non-binding estimate using rounded average values and the rules as of October 2026. What counts is your clinic's treatment plan, your insurer's cost approval, and your tax assessment notice. Not tax advice.
Which insurance funds pay more
higher percentage (75% or 100%) fixed subsidy per attempt. 12 other insurance funds, including BARMER and DAK, pay nothing extra for the first three attempts, 5 of them only from the 4th attempt onward. Example using insurance fund rates of around €3,000 per attempt.
You are free to choose any substitute fund (Ersatzkasse), but an AOK only where you live or work (Section 173, paragraph 2, SGB V). According to their bylaws, these substitute funds pay the following in addition per IVF or ICSI attempt:
- KKH: €1,000 per insured person, up to €3,000 in total, capped at their out-of-pocket cost
- TK: €500 per married couple, capped at the costs of the partner insured with TK (TK page)
- HEK: €200, at most €600
- hkk: €200 per spouse insured with hkk
In the ICSI example, the KKH subsidy would reduce the out-of-pocket cost by up to €1,000 per attempt. Some regional AOKs pay considerably more. AOK Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland, for example, pays about 100% instead of 50%. The comparison table shows all funds with their sources.
What to keep in mind when switching insurance funds
- Commitment period: You are bound to the fund you choose for at least twelve months, and after that you can cancel effective at the end of the month after next. If BARMER raises its additional contribution, you may cancel earlier (Section 175, paragraph 4, SGB V).
- Who switches: The subsidies from KKH and TK depend on the costs of the partner insured there. According to the KB-RL, the woman's fund pays for the procedures outside the body, while the man's fund pays only for sperm collection, sperm preparation, and his lab work. If only the man switches, the subsidy may turn out smaller.
- Order of steps: Switch first, then submit the plan to the new fund. According to its campaign page, KKH does not reimburse retroactively.
Frequently asked questions
Does BARMER offer a subsidy for assisted reproduction?
No. The bylaws (as of July 21, 2026) contain no additional benefit, so it stays at 50%. The family budget of up to €200 applies only to pregnancy.
Does BARMER pay for same-sex married couples?
No, BARMER states this explicitly. Help is available through state funds for female couples in some states and through the tax system.
Does BARMER pay after a sterilization?
Not if the sterilization was done for personal reasons. BARMER names this as an exclusion.
Sources
- BARMER bylaws as amended by the 38th amendment, as of July 21, 2026
- Assisted reproduction, BARMER, updated February 17, 2026
- Section 27a SGB V, gesetze-im-internet.de
- Section 173 SGB V, gesetze-im-internet.de
- Section 175 SGB V, gesetze-im-internet.de
- KB-RL, Federal Joint Committee (Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss, G-BA), in effect since February 9, 2022
- Financial support, Fertility Information Portal (Informationsportal Kinderwunsch)
- Fertility treatment, funding in Saxony, Free State of Saxony
- Assisted reproduction, KKH campaign page
- Costs for people with statutory health insurance, vitro-med
- Cost arrangements, Kinderwunschzentrum Augsburg
- BFH, judgment of October 5, 2017, VI R 47/15