Ontario Invests $150 Million to Expand Access to Fertility Services
The Ontario government is investing $150 million over the next two years to expand access to fertility services, Health Minister Sylvia Jones and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy announced on Thursday.
With this increased funding for the Ontario Fertility Program, Finance Minister Bethlenfalvy stated that three times more residents will now qualify for government-funded in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments.
“We want to ensure no one in Ontario is left behind in pursuing their dream of becoming parents,” Bethlenfalvy said at a fertility clinic in Etobicoke. He emphasized that the initiative will also expand clinic capacity, reducing waitlists at hospitals and community centers across the province.
Health Minister Jones added that the expanded program will offer patients more clinic options. “This announcement will make it faster and easier for families to access essential fertility treatments closer to home,” she noted.
Currently, approximately 5,500 Ontarians receive IVF funding each year through the Ontario Fertility Program. Since its launch in December 2015, the program has supported over 107,000 residents, according to the health ministry.
Bethlenfalvy and Jones were joined at the event by Christine Hogarth, MPP for Etobicoke–Lakeshore.
