At the time this article was written in 2021, 16% of couples that are attempting to become pregnant experience issues with infertility. Because of these issues, it's understandable that the next step would be looking into in vitro fertilization as an option to become the parents they've always wanted to be. When we revisited this information in January of 2023, we found that during the pandemic those numbers actually increased. People began to take life a little more seriously and decided that there was no time like to present to begin the process of trying to get pregnant.
If you're reading this, it's safe to assume that you're looking into IVF as a means of starting a family. With that being said, there are some things you need to know, like what the process of IVF is and the IVF costs in Canada.
Average Cost of IVF Per Province As Of 2023
While the average cost of IVF in Canada is around $16,625, each province's prices vary slightly. As of January 2023, here is the cost breakdown per province.
British Columbia - $13,000+
Alberta - $10,000+
Saskatchewan - $11,000+
Manitoba - $12,000+
Ontario - $11,000+
Quebec - $6,000+
New Brunswick - $7,000+
Prince Edward Island - $11,000+
Nova Scotia - $ 10,000+
Newfoundland - $12,250+
Yukon Territories - No fertility clinics in the region. Those who wish to undergo treatment, must travel to a province that offers it.
Northwest Territories - No fertility clinics in the region. Those who wish to undergo treatment, must travel to a province that offers it.
Nunavut - No fertility clinics in the region. Those who wish to undergo treatment, must travel to a province that offers it.
We will continue to break down the cost of IVF later on in this article. In the meantime, let's discuss the finer details of IVF.
What is IVF?
In vitro fertilization is the processing of fertilizing an egg outside of the body using sperm. Once the egg has been fertilized it is then transferred to the uterus of the women that will carry the egg if it implants.
There are several reasons that a woman or couple might choose to undergo IVF. Some of these reasons include:
- Problems with endometriosis
- Partner's sperm count is low
- Fertility issues that have no apparent cause
- Same sex couples who wish to be parents
These are just a few of the reasons that people undergo fertility treatments. If you've had a tubal ligation procedure, you might have had reversal surgery performed, but this surgery doesn't always end in success, leaving you with IVF as your next option.
Even if you don't have tubes to carry the egg to the uterus where it would be implanted, this doesn't mean that IVF isn't right for you. We recommend speaking to a doctor about conceiving using this means of fertility treatment.
The process is relatively painless and there's no way to know for certain when a women will getting pregnant when undergoing the IVF process. If you're concerned about whether the child will look like you and your partner there's no need to worry.
Whomever the egg and sperm come from is who the baby will resemble.
IVF Process
The first step in the IVF process is to give you fertility drugs. These medications will help to stimulate your body to produce more than the normal one egg each month.
When you produce more eggs, it increases your chances of becoming pregnant. While you're using these medications, your doctor will monitor you using a series of blood tests and ultrasounds to ensure that your hormones and ovaries are doing well.
After this, the next step in the process is retrieving the eggs. The doctor will give you an injection that will help your eggs mature at a quicker pace. As this process is going on, your partner will provide a sperm sample.
Only the healthiest sperm will be used when it's time to combine with the eggs. It can take a couple of hours for the eggs to be fertilized by the sperm. After the eggs have been fertilized, all that's left to do is give you the medication needed to prepare your uterus for the eggs.
Then the doctor will transfer the eggs to the uterus, and you will wait to see if any of the embryos implant successfully.
Are There Risks?
Much like with any other medical procedure, there are going to be some risks involved. One risk that you might run into when undergoing IVF is conceiving multiple pregnancies.
This isn't a big deal for some, but for others, all they wanted was one child. Multiple pregnancies can occur when the embryos are transferred to the uterus, all implant instead of one. Another common risk that women might have when undergoing IVF is the hyperstimulation of their ovaries.
The risk of this can be reduced by having your doctor keep an eye on your hormone levels and monitoring your ovaries throughout your treatment cycles.
What Are the Chances of Success?
Although the process of in vitro fertilization increases your chances of having a child, it's not always a guaranteed success. Several factors must be considered when it comes to determining your chances of successfully having a child.
We've listed these factors for you below to give you a better idea of what you're dealing with before beginning or making the decision to seek treatment. Keep in mind that you should always speak with your doctor, who will be honest with you about your chances of conceiving.
Cause of Infertility
There are several reasons that women might be infertile. The problems aren't just for women. There can also be issues that your partner is experiencing that would make in vitro treatments the best option for your situation. There are also options to help your partner during this period. This could be the best time to take Clomid for men.
Your doctor will educate you about how the cause of your infertility issues will affect the outcome of your IVF treatments. Some problems with infertility could be the timing of your ovulation or fallopian tube issues.
Age
One thing that women always keep in mind is their biological clock. While some people are anomalies and become pregnant later on in life, this isn't without issues.
As we get older, certain risks can be involved with carrying a baby. Some women older than 35 might not be able to use their own eggs during the IVF process but can use donor eggs instead.
History of Pregnancy
Another factor that your doctor will consider is your pregnancy history. It's essential to understand better how long you've been trying to conceive and the result of the attempts.
For example, if you've successfully got pregnant, but each pregnancy ended before a specific gestational period, the doctor may want to look deeper into the reasons.
Reasons why the pregnancies have ended earlier than expected to provide you with the support to increase your chances of becoming pregnant.
What Are My IVF Options: Can I Use Donor Eggs?
If you don't have viable eggs that can be used for the IVF process, you do have the option of using a donor egg. Keep in mind that if you decide to go the donor route during IVF in Canada, the chances of live birth are between 45-55%.
While this isn't 100%, no pregnancy can be 100% guaranteed; therefore, the chance of pregnancy when using donor eggs is a significant chance that it could end in the birth of a child.
Further Breaking Down the Cost of IVF
One of the biggest questions that couples will have before deciding to move forward with IVF treatment is the price and how much is covered by insurance?
One thing to keep in mind is that the cost of your treatment will vary depending on the location that you're receiving your treatment from. Location isn't the only thing that can affect the cost of your treatment. There are several others that you can look into below.
IVF Cycles You'll Need
There is no guarantee that the first cycle of IVF is going to work for you. But, there are several other reasons that you will need to undergo more than one IVF cycle, including:
- Pregnancy history
- Medical history
- Age
- Whether you smoke or drink
- Overall health
- Lifestyle choices
Again, these are some of the things that your doctor should sit down and discuss with you before you begin your next treatment cycle.
Ability to Carry a Child
If you're not able to carry a child yourself, it will make sense to go the route of having a surrogate mother. When you decide to use surrogacy and IVF treatment, it can greatly change the cost of the treatments.
Doctors will need to ensure that you've got viable eggs to extract and place those eggs inside the uterus of the surrogate to be carried. Before any of that takes place, your surrogate of choice will also need to be screened to ensure that she is in good health and can carry a baby.
Medication Needs
Part of the in vitro fertilization treatment is taking a series of medications that help put you in the best position to carry a child. The more medication you need, the higher the cost of your overall treatment.
Another thing that changes the cost of your medication is whether or not you're taking medication that is generic or not.
Which Provinces Offer Assistance To The Cost of IVF?
In Canada, there are 4 provinces that offer financial support towards fertility treatments.
Quebec - $13,450 for a single IVF cycle. This is for standard services, does not cover embryo transfer and your reimbursement application must be submitted before July 1,2024
Manitoba - Pays for 40% of the treatment of IVF up to a maximum of $8,000 per year. Covered under the Fertility Treatment Tax Credit.
New Brunswick - Residents of New Brunswick can claim 50% of costs of IVF up to $5,000 (lifetime max) under the Infertility Treatment - Special Assistance Fund.
Ontario - Covers one cycle per lifetime for all women aged 43 and under. This does not include the cost of medication.
Does Insurance Cover the Cost?
Before undergoing your IVF treatment, we recommend that you take time to contact your insurance provider to inquire about what percentage of fertility treatment costs they're able to cover, if any. Some types of insurances will cover one treatment cycle as long as the qualifications are met by the person seeking the treatment.
If you don't have insurance take the time to check out all the benefits that you stand to gain from specific companies and compare their rates. You want to ensure that you've got the coverage you need to cover your treatment properly.
You might also consider looking into the fertility tax credit. When you check it out, you'll find out a maximum number that you can claim on your income taxes, as well as which fertility treatments are eligible for the tax credit.
IVF Costs in Canada: Know Your Insurance
When it comes to IVF costs in Canada, there's no way to be certain what the total cost of treatment will be because there are several factors that can cause it to vary. These factors include a women's age as well as the reason for her infertility.
But, it's important to contact your insurance provider to gain a better understanding of what your insurance will cover. Haven't found the right insurance coverage yet?
Get a quote from Insurdinary today.
