A federal IVF program will harmonize ‘patchwork’ approach, experts say

Nearly half of Canadians support federal funding for in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, according to a new study, which experts say would help harmonize the patchwork of public provincial funding available across nine of the 10 provinces.

Data collected by Ipsos for Fertility Matters Canada (FMC) found that 46 per cent of Canadians with an opinion on it support the proposed federal IVF funding program.

During his 2025 campaign, Prime Minister Mark Carney promised Canadians up to $20,000 for a single round of IVF treatment.

While that campaign promise has yet to materialize, Carolynn Dubé, executive director of FMC, told Global News she has had conversations with the federal government and they seem to be listening.

“There is certainly a keen interest in really understanding what this looks like for Canadians and how to get the right program in place so that it’s done well,” she said.

Nine out of ten provinces provide some sort of IVF programs, grants or tax credits, which the industry says are working.

According to the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS), 5,466 patients in Ontario and 3,606 patients in Quebec received provincial funding for IVF treatment in 2025.

“This is actually life-changing. Not everybody can afford fertility treatments and so these funded programs are what provides that hope and that pathway to build a family,” Emily McIntosh, executive director of CFAS, told Global News.

The Ontario Ministry of Health told Global News in an email that 132,900 women have received publicly funded fertility support since 2015.

One round of IVF treatment costs around $20,000, but McIntosh said the average heterosexual couple will require three rounds before they have a successful outcome.

“What that tells us is that provincial funding programs are not enough. They are an important, critical start, but we need federal support. We need insurance programs to be stepping up because the financial barrier is massive and this should be an opportunity for every single Canadian that wants to build a family,” she said.

Support for a federal IVF financial program is highest among Canadians aged 18 to 34, according to the survey, with 26 per cent saying it would affect their families’ building plans or those of someone close to them.

This is also one of the age groups hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis.

“Fertility care is health care. It should be accessible to everybody,” McIntosh said

Dubé said education and awareness are also an important piece of the puzzle. As she speaks to patients across the country, she said they express how they didn’t know about the costs and barriers to IVF until they found themselves needing fertility treatments.

She said this not only creates a financial burden, but a mental toll as well.

“Research shows that being diagnosed with infertility has the same negative impact on one’s mental health as a diagnosis of a more significant health concern like cancer or heart disease. And we don’t treat it the same,” Dubé said.

“Anytime we can have an opportunity to drive public awareness about the issue is certainly helpful for tens of thousands of Canadians who are still waiting to take their baby home.”

A spokesperson for federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel told Global News in a statement that the ministry recognizes that fertility treatments come with many challenges, including financial burdens.

“We recognize the importance of this issue for many Canadians, and we’ll have more to say on this in due course,” they said.