Contrary to expectations, the BC NDP government will include access to one round of publicly funded in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment in its provincial budget as of April. The first cycle of IVF, which costs about $20,000, is already covered in Ontario and Quebec and partially funded by provinces such as Manitoba and Nova Scotia. Finance Minister Katrine Conroy said the free round of IVF will be available to anyone who wants it, no matter their income, “who they love, or whether they have a partner.” The medication costs required by the IVF treatment process is not covered by the government in any province, but often covered by private insurance or out-of-pocket instead. Quebec became the first region in North America to offer IVF in 2010, and it got so many applications, it had to scale back for affordability reasons. Originally three rounds of IVF were covered in the province, but now only one is paid for by taxpayer dollars. According to the Globe & Mail, a study published in 2015 documenting two years of Quebec’s program counted 246 babies born to women 40 years old or older. The treatments, using the women's own eggs, cost the government $43,153 or higher, as the figure increases exponentially depending on the age of the woman. For example, it cost 43-year-old women $104,000. No mention was made of the number of embryos discarded in the process. Further, success rates are low for the first round of IVF, according to a 2021 report from the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society. For every embryo transfer, less than 32% of women under 35 years of age give birth per embryo transfer. That number falls to 27% for women between 35 and 39 and about 22% for women over 40.In 2015, Ontario began offering one round of IVF for women under the age of 43, while Manitoba and Nova Scotia announced they would pay for 40% of the cost for a maximum yearly credit of $8,000.Prince Edward Island likewise offers up to $10,000 based on family income (though PEI does not have a fertility clinic, the money can be spent in other jurisdictions.) New Brunswick gives a one-time reimbursement of $5,000, while Newfoundland and Labrador (also lacking in fertility clinics) provides up to $5,000 per cycle for up to three cycles.Alberta, Saskatchewan and the territories, do not publicly fund IVF.
