With the end of free IVF programmes in Quebec from 2015 onwards[1], demand has fallen by 60% in three years.
In 2014-2015, the global cost of IVF amounted to $74 million—a budget deemed excessive by Health Minister Gaétan Barrette. Furthermore, IVF costs thousands of dollars compared to artificial insemination, which costs a few hundred. The Health Minister chose to continue reimbursement for artificial insemination, replacing IVF reimbursement by a means-tested tax credit system. In addition, tax credits have been stopped for those who already have one child, for instance. For those who are entitled to assistance, tax credits can cover between 20% and 80% of the cost, depending on the family’s income.
Further to this financial policy, demand for IVF has been replaced by requests for artificial insemination. The latter increased from 14,826 in 2014 to 17,976 in 2017[2]. According to Revenu Québec, 2,000 individuals paid for IVF out of pocket in Quebec in 2016.
See also:
Quebec: MAP centres are in financial difficulty
MAP in Quebec: free of charge but with conditions?
[1] Heading towards the end of free medicinal products for MAP in Quebec
[2] Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ – Government Health Insurance Board in Quebec).
Radio-Canada, Marie-Laurence Delainey (16/07/2018)