ONTARIO TO EXPAND ACCESS TO FERTILITY SERVICES WITH $150 MILLION OVER TWO YEARS

The province of Ontario says it is expanding 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.

On Thursday, Health Minister Sylvia Jones said the new funding, over two years, will triple the number of families that are able to access government-funded services in hospitals and clinics.

According to the government, 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.

Ontario says further details on the expansion will be outlined in the spring budget.

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