Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) has advocated making trisomy rapid tests for pregnant women to the cash benefit. "If now comes a test that has virtually no risk, then the cash must pay," said Spahn in the "image" talk "The right questions". Finally, a long-term amniotic fluid test will be reimbursed in some women, although this carries with it the risk of miscarriage.

"Just to minimize risk, the funds should now finance," said Spahn. The decision to do so lies exclusively with the Joint Federal Committee (G-BA).

The Bundestag wants to hold an orientation debate on Thursday on the subject. Among politicians and ethics experts, the prenatal blood test is controversial, as many parents decide after a positive result for an abortion. So far, pregnant women have to pay the at least 130 euro expensive blood test usually themselves.

"Every life has the same dignity"

Also the CDU presidium discussed on Monday about prenatal genetic blood tests. After that, CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak said that it would pay for them from the statutory health insurance. However, the expectant parents should be accompanied and educated.

In the end, there must always be promotion for life, said the CDU Secretary General. Every life has the same value and the same dignity, "whether with Downsyndrom or with another impairment".

At the end of March, the Federal Joint Committee of Health Insurance Funds, clinics, doctors and patient representatives initiated procedures to make the tests cash in the future - but only if there is a high-risk pregnancy.

In a first step, specialist societies, the German Medical Association, the German Ethics Council, the Genetic Diagnostics Commission and numerous other organizations will submit their comments on the plans. It is expected that the G-BA will discuss its draft resolution in August 2019. It will probably take until autumn 2020 for the change to become effective for patients.

This is how the test works

For the tests, pregnant women are taken from the 11th week blood. Based on the chromosome parts of the child or the placenta it can be calculated the probability with which the child with Downsyndrom - but also other Trisomien - would be born.

With a target accuracy of 99 percent, the blood test is considered safer than so-called first-trimester screening with a rate of 95 percent. The doctor misses the fetus in the 11th to 14th week of pregnancy with an ultrasound device, in addition he analyzes certain blood levels of the mother.

For a long time during pregnancy, it was only possible to determine with an amniocentesis that trisomies were present in the child. These currently recommend doctors still unclear findings after first-trimester screening or blood test. An amniocentesis, however, involves risks: About one to three out of every 1000 fetuses do not survive the procedure.