B.C. delaying launch of publicly funded IVF program by 3 months
Fertility doctor says some patients who would be eligible have paid themselves rather than wait
B.C. has delayed the launch of its publicly funded in-vitro fertilization (IVF) program by three months, frustrating some patients and doctors.
The program, which will pay for one round of IVF per person, was set to open for applications on April 1, but that's now been delayed to July 2.
Health Minister Josie Osborne said the delay is due to the complexity of developing the program, including the eligibility criteria.
"I know it's really unfortunate that it's been delayed by three months and I feel for people, because people are anxious and certainly we are hearing from people looking for the details of the program," she said.
Age requirement adjusted
In-vitro fertilization is a medical procedure where an egg is fertilized by sperm outside of the body before being placed in a womb. It is often used by people facing infertility due to age or reproductive problems.
The funding will provide up to $19,000 per patient.
An eligibility requirement for the funding is that a patient be aged 18 through 41. However, Osborne said an exception will be made for those who turn 42 between April 1 and July 2.
For MLA Claire Rattée of the B.C. Conservative Party, news of the delay has been hard to hear.
Rattée, 32, and her partner plan to use IVF to build their family, and hope to make use of the provincial funding.
"For a lot of people that I know who were planning to utilize that funding in April, now that it's pushed back again ... it's not surprising but definitely frustrating," she said.
Rattée said she's currently waiting to be referred to an OBGYN before she can be referred to a fertility clinic.
According to the province, the funding can be applied to any part of a standard IVF cycle, including egg retrieval, sperm retrieval, fertilization, blastocyst culture and single embryo transfer. It can also be used to fertilize previously frozen eggs or transfer previously frozen embryos, among other things. Egg freezing, also referred to as fertility preservation, is not covered through the program.
Patients struggle with timing
Dr. Areiyu Zhang of Olive Fertility Centre said many families are waiting anxiously for more details.
"We don't yet know how the funding will be organized and managed and prioritized for patients, so everyone is waiting with bated breath for details and it's hard for patients not to have any concrete information on that," she said.
In early 2024, B.C. had announced the program's expected start date as April 1.
Olive Fertility Centre sees more than 6,000 new patients a year, and Dr. Zhang said some have decided to go start IVF without waiting for the funding.
The initiative is receiving $34 million a year from the provincial budget, and brings B.C. in line with at least seven other provinces that offer either coverage or a reimbursement scheme for people accessing IVF.
Applications must be submitted by the patient's doctor, because of the detailed medical information required.
The province has not said how long people will have to wait for the funding to be allocated once applications open in July.
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With files from Katie DeRosa