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B.C. will fund one round of IVF, a program that will cost taxpayers $34 million a year for two years, starting in 2025
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B.C.’s $68 million announcement to provide public funding for IVF treatment was well-received by advocates and critics alike but may fall short of demand, according to at least one expert.
“The funding potentially means we’re going to be able to make more families … in many cases for patients who may not have been able to afford it before,” said Caitlin Dunne, a specialist in infertility and egg freezing at the Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine, which has offices in B.C. and Alberta.
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One round of invitro fertilization involves fertility drugs which can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $8,000, as well as the procedure of removing eggs and making embryos, which can cost $12,000 or more, Dunne said.
“So in many cases, patients are spending $18,000 to $20,000 for that first round of making embryos,” she said.
Dunne said cost was “one of the more common concerns” she hears from patients.
She estimated that even without public funding there were over 3,000 IVF cycles in B.C. last year, which, given the cost of treatment, would outpace funding announced by the NDP.
Cost for subsequent rounds, if the first was unsuccessful or a family is looking to have another child, will still cost several thousand dollars, assuming eggs from the initial round of IVF were frozen, Dunne said. The B.C. government will only fund the first, most expensive, round of treatment.
“Unfortunately, for many people it takes more than one round of IVF to secure a viable pregnancy,” Judith Daniluk, a professor emeritus at UBC, wrote in an email.
“At least the availability of one paid cycle will open up the option to undergo IVF for many people who otherwise would not be able to pursue this family building technology,” Daniluk wrote.
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B.C. will fund one round of IVF, a program that will cost taxpayers $34 million a year for two years, starting in 2025. Similar programs are already available in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba.
Quebec was the first province to introduce public funding for IVF treatment. Demand more than tripled the first year IVF was fully covered in the province, according to data from the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society, a non-profit focused on reproductive technologies.
“I would certainly expect to see a significant increase in demand for (IVF) once the public funding kicks in,” Dunne said of demand in B.C.
Globally, infertility affects roughly one in six people, according to the World Health Organization. It is not uncommon to need several cycles of treatment. Without government support, however, treatment costs are prohibitive for many families.
Both Daniluk and Dunne said they were waiting to see what kind of parameters the government would put in place to ensure fair and equitable access to IVF, given the demand for such treatment.
“Hopefully the government advisory group determining these criteria will learn from the failures and success of other provinces and countries,” Daniluk wrote.
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Dunne said an infertility diagnosis is often shrouded in stigma and shame and too many people don’t seek the help they need.
“We look forward to working with the government to understand how the funding should be allotted so that we can, in the quickest and most equitable manner, allot the funding to the patients who need it,” Dunne said.
“It’s very validating for families for the government to recognize infertility because it has long been known to be a disease.”
No one should be denied the opportunity to have a child because of how much money they make, who they love or whether they have a partner, Katrine Conroy, B.C.’s finance minister, said when announcing the program.
The program has garnered support from all three opposition parties. But B.C. United leader Kevin Falcon said it should start immediately, instead of by April 1, 2025.
With files from Katie DeRosa and The Canadian Press.
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