Ontario to expand access to fertility services with $150M over 2 years

Ontario is set to expand the number of clinics where people can access publicly funded fertility services such as in vitro fertilization, as part of a $150-million expansion to the program.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones says the new funding, over two years, will triple the number of families able to get government-funded services in hospitals and clinics.

The government says the Ontario Fertility Program is currently offered through 50 clinics that provide IVF, intra-uterine insemination and fertility preservation services.

Each patient is eligible for one publicly funded IVF cycle in their lifetime.

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The government says further details on the expansion will be in the spring budget.

Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy also says he is proposing a new tax credit, effective in January, to cover up to 25 per cent of eligible expenses such as IVF cycles, fertility medication, travel for treatment, and diagnostic testing, to a maximum of $5,000 per year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.