In Canada, one in six adults experience infertility or will need access to fertility care to build their families. Yet, we do not have equitable access to treatment across Canada’s provinces and territories. The cost for treatment is approximately $10,000 to $20,000 per cycle. Many individuals need several cycles of treatment before they are able to take home a baby.
Currently, seven (7) of Canada’s provinces provide various unequal forms of financial help for people needing treatment for infertility:
Is Fertility Treatment Covered in Canada?
Fertility treatment is not universally accessible in Canada. The availability of the treatment varies across different provinces. The following information outlines each province’s eligibility criteria and funding options.
Manitoba
Manitoba offers a tax credit equal to 40% of the cost of fertility treatments. Up to $20,000 annually in eligible costs can be claimed for a maximum annual tax credit of $8,000. There is no limit on the number of treatments. The eligibility requirements for the program are:
For full program details, click here.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick offers residents a one-time grant for coverage of costs associated with fertility treatment. Eligible participants can claim 50% of costs for in vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination procedures as well as medication, up to a lifetime maximum of $5,000. The eligibility requirements for the program are:
For full program details, click here.
Newfoundland & Labrador
The fertility subsidy program aims to assist individuals who must travel out of the province for fertility treatments. The subsidy provides $5,000 per In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) cycle to applicants who meet clinical eligibility up to a maximum of three IVF cycles throughout their lifetime. Services included in the subsidy program may include IVF, frozen embryo transfer, donor egg cycles, donor embryo cycles, oocyte cryopreservation, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and gestational carrier cycles, as well as medications associated with these services. The services must be provided at a clinic of the applicant’s choosing located within Canada. This is retroactive to August 4, 2021. The eligibility requirements for the program are:
For full program details, click here.
Nova Scotia
The Nova Scotia Fertility and Surrogacy Rebate is a refundable tax credit equal to 40 percent of the cost of fertility treatments provided by a Nova Scotia-licensed medical practitioner or infertility treatment clinic and for surrogacy-related medical expenses. There is no limit on the number of treatments an individual can claim, but the maximum annual claim is $20,000 in eligible costs for a maximum annual tax credit of $8,000. The eligibility requirements for the program are:
For program details, click here.
Ontario
Ontario funds one IVF cycle or one egg freezing (fertility preservation cycle) for women up to age 42. There is no limit on age or the number of treatment cycles for intrauterine insemination (IUI). Sex, gender, sexual orientation, or family status are not considerations in fertility treatment eligibility. The province does not cover the cost of medications. The eligibility requirements for the program are:
For full program details, click here.
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island residents are eligible for reimbursement of between $5,000 and $10,000 annually for IVF and/or IUI, including medication, based on family income. Treatment is unavailable in the province, so people can submit a claim after having it elsewhere in Canada. Funding is available up to three times.
For full program details, click here.
Quebec
Quebec funds one IVF cycle for women up to age 41. It also pays for medications as well as freezing and storage of extra embryos for a year.
For full program details –
British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the territories – where 29% of our country’s residents live – do not cover the cost of procedures like IVF or IUI.