Applications are open now through to March 2026 for British Columbia’s publicly funded in-vitro fertilization (IVF) program.
Patient Rachelle Pastilha was emotional at an event alongside Health Minister Josie Osborne Wednesday as she recounted her journey with IVF.
Pastilha said she was devastated when she was diagnosed in 2008 with endometriosis, a condition that can significantly impact fertility.
“Being a mom has always been something I deeply wanted, and that diagnosis felt like a weight I had to carry,” said Pastilha.
She gave birth to her son in 2021, but decided to start IVF treatments after struggling to conceive a second child. She said the provincial funding provides hope for her and other families going through fertility struggles.
IVF involves a set of procedures that lead to an egg being fertilized by a sperm outside the body, and then transferred back into the uterus.
The province said eligible patients can now apply for one-time funding of up to $19,000 towards a single standard cycle of IVF treatment. Patients must be between 18 and 41-years-old at the time of application and be a patient at a participating fertility clinic in the province. All intended parents must be enrolled in the province’s Medical Services Plan.
Participating fertility clinics must submit applications on behalf of their patients to the Ministry of Health. Osborne said applications will be reviewed on a “first come, first served” basis and assessed based on the patients’ pre-taxed household income.
Those who make less than $100,000 a year would be eligible for the full $19,000, while the amount of funding decreases for those with higher incomes. Those with household incomes above $250,000 are not eligible for funding.
“Infertility and other barriers [to parenthood] can be truly devastating to hopeful parents,” said Osborne Wednesday.
“Having a child shouldn’t depend on how much money you make.”
The Province estimates that the program will fund between 1,100 and 4,500 IVF cycles.
Olive Fertility Clinic has several locations in B.C. and is one of three clinics participating in the program. It states on its website, a single round of IVF – which includes orientation, egg retrieval, blastocyst culture, fresh embryo transfer and medication – costs approximately $12,000 – $15,000.
The provincial funding can also be used to fertilize previously frozen eggs and for up to one year of embryo storage.
The provincial coverage does not include the cost of egg freezing, which involves retrieving and storing eggs to preserve fertility. Olive Fertility Clinic said its price for egg freezing and one year of storage is nearly $10,000, while associated medications can cost between $5000 and $9000.
Many patients require more than one round of IVF to have a child. Data from the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society show in 2018 there were more than 16,850 IVF cycles. Out of those cycles, there were a little more than 2400 pregnancies.
“Many people face barriers to this fertility care, including the stigma around infertility – and that’s made worse by the financial burden of IVF treatment,” said Dr. Ken Seethram with Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine.
Seethram notes more Canadians are having children later in life which tends to coincide with lower fertility rates.
B.C.’s 2024 budget included $68 million over two-years for the IVF program.
The program brings B.C. in line with most other provinces in offering some kind of coverage for IVF or fertility treatments. Alberta is the only province without any publicly funded fertility program or tax credit for fertility treatments.
The B.C. government has a list of frequently asked questions about the program on its website.
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