IVF- The Financial and Emotional Burden on Couples in Ontario

I’m feeling hopeful.

We have a new Premier of Ontario.  A woman.  A gay woman.  While I don’t expect her to represent either group in all that she does as Premier, I do hope that she will bring a new perspective, and be open minded to the issues effecting women and infertility.

TRUTH: 15% of reproductive age couples in Ontario will need medical help to conceive. 

TRUTH:  Many families never realize their dreams of parenthood because OHIP does not cover the costs of treatment.

TRUTH:  It is MY conceivable dream that infertility will be treated and funded like other medical conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.

 

TRUTH: I would not have been amother unless I had used IVF.  Had I not been able to scrap together the money.

 

The leaders in IVF funding and acknowledging infertility as a medical condition, for which the province should provide funding, is Quebec.  In Quebec couples get subsidized IVF cycles only if one embryo is transferred, so to reduce the risk of multiples.  Multiple pregnancies stress the babies, the mother, and the family, as well as the medical system.  As you know, the costs can be immense, and in some cases, life long.

What is the success of this program in Quebec?  

Multiple pregnancies have dropped from about 30% to 3% since its inception in 2010. Amazing!  Add to that the emotional relief that these families have been able to become parents without the financial burdens and it seems that it has been an enormous success for families, politicians and the medical system.

Paul and I were fortunate to be able to scrap together the $20,000 for two rounds of IVF for our boys.  We took an inheritance and emptied all of our savings to become parents.  A choice that we are still paying for in some ways (no real savings)…but a decision that we would never have changed.

I couldn’t imagine how the experience of going through such a stressful time, would have changed, had we gotten a chance to have one round of IVF paid for by OHIP.  Embarrassing meetings with bank managers telling them private information about our fertility, would not have had to happened.  Several arguments between us, debating the choice to use our own money or borrow from family.  The stress from the emotions of being told you could not be parents any other way- hurting you to the core- compounded by the desperation in getting the money together to make your dreams come true.


Wouldn’t it be great if Ontario could follow Quebec’s lead and remove that stress?

Wouldn’t it be amazing that when we share our story of their conception with our precious sons, we can tell them that if they need help, OHIP will help them?

 
Wouldn’t it be amazing to allow all couples to be parents, regardless of their financial standing?

I’m not sure if our new Premier has ever struggled with infertility, but I’m pretty certain that she knows someone with a story like mine.  I’m also sure that if this subject is given the chance to be discussed, our new Premier will examine the pros and cons in order to make the best decision for our province and the couples who live within it.

Please follow @OHIP4IVF onTwitter or the hashtag #OHIP4IVF to support government funding for IVF. Help other couples become parents, without the financial burden that comes with infertility.

 

*I am honoured to be a member of the ConceivableDreams blog team, and have been compensated for this post. Opinions are my own.

1 Comment on IVF- The Financial and Emotional Burden on Couples in Ontario

  1. Paula Schuck
    February 1, 2013 at 8:19 pm (11 years ago)

    This is so important. Thanks for the post, Heather. I fully agree 100 %. I have talked to so many couples who started their families $30 K in debt or $50 K in debt because of the astronomical costs of IVF. That is completely unfair and a terrible stress on top of the emotions of infertility as well. Thanks for telling it just the way it is and lending your voice to this important issue.

    Reply

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