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I haven’t done IVF but I have done fertility treatments in Ontario. My suggestion would be to Google your closest fertility clinic and many have websites outlining their treatment options but almost all require a referral and then you’d have a consult with the doctor to discuss options. IVF might not be the first thing to try depending on your circumstance. The price can vary person to person depending on what treatment tests and meds you need.
Fees vary clinic to clinic. In Ontario, you get 1 IVF cycle included if you have OHIP but the wait times are usually about 1.5 years. If you’re paying privately, you can do it whenever but expect to pay around $15k. Again these are Ontario prices. I was told by my family doctor that we had to be trying for 1 year before getting referred to a fertility clinic but it’s not like they would know any better. So I asked for the referral after 6 months
@Vanessa 15k plus meds typically. The OHIP program is age restricted as well
@Tara yes! Some extended health benefits cover meds
@Vanessa some also cover the procedures
Talk to your doctor about getting a referral to a fertility clinic and the clinic will set up a consultation with you. I’m not sure the wait times but in Alberta it starts at $15,000.
I got it done in BC and my employer insurance covered 80% of it. Unlike Ontario in BC it's not covered under MSP
@Vanessa wow 15k... and there is a chance it wont work. Thanks for this information. I had no clue about it being like this. My dr can be a bit discouraging though. He wouldnt even let me have a pre conception examination by a gynaecologist when i asked for referral. He said its only if there is issues. Im in ontario btw!! I really want to find a new dr but idk where to look.
@Tara 32 and in ontario (GTA)
@Tara whaaat.. what do you mean age restricted?? Is 30s ok?
As others have said it's covered in Ontario for 1 retriaval cycle. There can be long waitlists but I recently found out the wait is based on your fertility clinic, not the entire province. So if your clinic has less people waiting then your wait can be much less than the provincial average. Please note however the one thing OHIP doesn't cover if PGT testing for embryos which is genetic testing for certain genes if you're a carrier and chromosomal abnormalities. We have been told to save anywhere from $5-10k for PGT testing (the cost varies based on your clinic as well)
@Amanda the PGT is roughly 1k per embryo (from our experience). Most (if not all from my understanding) clinics send them to an independent lab for testing
Your doctors right that you typically only get referred to an OB if there’s suspected to be an issue. Especially since there can be a long wait time to see an OB. But there’s tests your family lot doctor can order. Having done fertility treatment in Ontario my doctor referred me after 8 months the first time because I had issues with my cycle and all the tests she ordered came back normal. The second time we didn’t have to wait as long since I had a history of fertility issues. Not sure what your case is or how long you’ve been trying but there’s usually a few factors that go into a fertility referral. The one year mark doesn’t always fit all.
Ivf is 43 and under. There are no age restrictions for the other options. IVF isn’t usually the starting point unless your specific situation calls for it. OHIP funding is given out to participating clinics at the end of March each year. I would research the clinics in your area and reach out to ask what their waitlist is for IUI and IVF and set up a consult. I spoke with (during the pandemic) some clinics that had a funded waitlist time of 3-5 years and others that had an average waitlist of 9-15 months. This page is a great starting point to understanding what you could be covered for. http://www.ontario.ca/page/get-fertility-treatments
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How long have you been trying to conceive? Is there a specific reason you feel you need a preconception appt? Your family doctor can order the basic lab tests that a fertility doctor would ask for (generally all but AMH are OHIP covered).
@Jessica i agree. Just because someone is under 35 they shouldn't have to wait an entire year to get some treatment. After 6 months they should allow patients to be seen by some kind of fertility dr. JUST for reassurance. Not everyone has "time" or the health to wait it out.
@Tara thank you!! Very kind of you to make it easier to find with a link 💗
@Tara i had a traumatic birth few years back and it always prevented me from trying for a while and when the thought of it comes to mind i get extremely tense and then i read scary forums and articles about prolapse and wanted to make sure im all good down below to be birthing just to ease my mind.
I'm not a doctor and not encouraging you to lie. But I self referred myself to a fertility clinic and told them I'd been trying for a year. I KNEW I was having very specific issues that weren't going to magically resolve themselves. I needed treatment. A few clinics will let you refer yourself.
So my experience was that trying for a year wasn’t a requirement. That being said, I spoke with the fertility clinics first and then got the referral sent by my family doctor when I had decided which clinic I was most comfortable with. Not sure where in Ontario you are but I would go to the CPSO search and find a gynecologist(s) that is accepting patients and call to find out what their wait time is for an appointment. Your family doctor can’t deny a referral to a gynecologist if you request one. You could also look into pelvic floor therapists or if prolapse is your only concern and it hasn’t been diagnosed, your family doc can send you for an ultrasound to determine if it’s an issue or not. Feel free to PM me if you want
@Amanda i would have no shame in lying about this to get treatment. You did good! When we know we know!!
@Sarah thank you for sharing , congratulations on your baby 💗
My wife and I went through IVF twice in Ontario. Some provinces cover 1 cycle per female per lifetime. This included all medical appointments and expenses including the transfer of every retrieved embryo (one at a time) but not including medications. It very easy to find a clinic that accepts the funding and it’s not usually a long waitlist. Medications and other admin fees cost about 10k in total for a frozen embryo transfer but can be less for a fresh embryo transfer, through a frozen transfer usually has higher percentage of taking. Medications get paid for on a pickup basis so you don’t have to pay for them in advanced, you do have to pay admin fees, any specialized testing fees you want as well. We went with TRIO fertility as they are the leading clinic in Ontario/Canada and their main office is located in Toronto, they do have satellite offices where you can get blood work and meds and easy appointments. If you have more questions feel free to dm me.
@Taylor that was very informative Taylor, thank you! I will keep trio clinic in mind just incase. It is wonderful we have all these resources and especially an app like this for us to learn and get our chances up for conceiving. 💗
What province are you in and how old are you? I’m in Ontario and qualified for the OHIP covered IVF.