Ontario Fertility Program Funding
In 2015, the Ontario government launched the Ontario Fertility Program to provide funding to help eligible patients build their families. Access to funded fertility services is available for all forms of infertility (including medical and non-medical infertility), regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or family status.
Every single patient will have a different fertility journey. This also means that when the program says it will cover one full IVF cycle, the services that make up that cycle will vary from person to person. Your TRIO physician will determine an appropriate treatment plan for you.
Funding is available for the following:
- Fertility Preservation: The freezing of eggs or sperm before a medical procedure that will negatively impact fertility, such as chemotherapy or gender reaffirming surgery. Fertility preservation is eligible for funding for those who qualify once per lifetime.
- Intrauterine insemination (IUI): A procedure in which sperm is injected directly into the uterus via a catheter. This treatment is eligible for funding for those who qualify with no set limit for the number of tries.
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): Eggs are retrieved and fertilized with sperm outside of the body. The embryo is then transferred to the uterus. This treatment is eligible for funding for those who qualify once per lifetime.
Coverage for Fertility Treatments
Every patient will have a different fertility journey. Some benefit from intrauterine insemination (IUI), while others need in vitro fertilization (IVF). This also means that when the program says it will cover one full IVF cycle, the services that make up that cycle will vary from person to person. Your TRIO physician and medical team will determine an appropriate treatment plan for you and review any questions you may have.
Below, we review what is covered by government funding and what is not.
All Fertility Treatments
Treatments Covered
- Physician/nurse assessments and counselling
- Certain blood and urine tests
- Certain Ultrasounds
Treatments Not Covered
- Any drugs or medications
- Storage or shipping of eggs/sperm/embryos
- Counselling by a psychologist or social worker
- Various optional tests
Various Optional Tests
To be eligible for funding you must be an Ontario resident with a valid OHIP card.
Treatments Covered
- Cycle monitoring
- Insemination procedure (excluding sperm washing)
Treatments Not Covered
- Sperm washing/preparation before insemination
- Purchase, shipping, or storage of donor sperm
Fertility Preservation
To be eligible for funding you must be an Ontario resident with a valid OHIP card. and have a medical reason for fertility preservation and be less than 43 years old.
Treatments Covered
- Up to two attempts at cycle monitoring
- One attempt at egg retrieval
- Freezing of one batch/sample of eggs or sperm
- Sperm collection or, if required, one attempt at surgical sperm retrieval using certain techniques
Treatments Not Covered
- Preservation of additional batches/samples of eggs or sperm
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
To be eligible for funding you must be an Ontario resident with a valid OHIP card. You also need to be under 43 years of age and are only eligible for one funded IVF cycle per lifetime.
Treatments Covered
- Up to two attempts at cycle monitoring
- Embryo freezing, thawing and culture
- One attempt at surgical sperm retrieval using certain techniques (if required)
- Fertilization and embryology services, including intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), assisted hatching and blastocyst culture
- One-at-a-time transfer of all embryos (fresh/frozen)
Treatments Not Covered
- Purchase of donor sperm or eggs
- Storage or shipping of eggs/sperm/embryos
- Any services performed on other people participating in the patient’s funded IVF cycle, if they do not also hold a valid Ontario health card.
Knowing When Your Funded Cycle Starts and Ends
IVF Funding Start Points:
Undergo an egg retrieval.
or next funding starting point
Have a donor undergo egg retrieval for you.
or next funding starting point
Use previously-retrieved eggs (own or donor).
or next funding starting point
Use previously-created embryos (own or donor).
IVF Funding End Points:
Two cycle monitoring attempts with no egg retrieval.
or next funding end point
One failed egg retrieval.
or next funding end point
One failed surgical sperm retrieval and no alternate sperm source is chosen.
or
Fertilization and culture of all eggs from cycle start resulted in no viable embryos to transfer.
or next funding end point
Thawing/culture of all frozen embryos from cycle start resulted in no viable embryos to transfer.
or next funding end point
Transfers of all viable embryos (fresh & frozen) from cycle start were performed or are no longer available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I eligible for the program as an 2SLGBTQIA+ prospective parent?
Do I need a referral from a doctor to be eligible for Ontario-funded IVF treatments?
Who covers the cost of fertility drugs for fertility treatment?
How many IVF cycles are being funded per patient?
Can I use a sperm or egg donor?
I'm not ready to have a baby now but would like to freeze my eggs for a future pregnancy. Would this be covered by the program?
How many embryos can I transfer?
Is there a waiting list to receive a funded IVF cycle?
Patient Stories
“On June 20, 2020, our dream came true. Our beautiful baby girl arrived into the world and filled our hearts with so much love — love we never realized we had until now. She is perfect and we are in awe of her every single day. Dr. Cadesky and his amazing team made this happen. The overall IVF process took about 7 months from our initial consultation with Dr. Cadesky to the successful frozen embryo transfer. The waiting is tough, and we know first-hand how difficult it is to stay positive and hopeful, but our story is truly a success and we hope it helps anyone reading this.
From the bottom of our hearts, we cannot thank everyone at TRIO Fertility Clinic enough.”
