Fertility experts have spoken out about proposed changes to the Medicare safety net, claiming it will mean only the rich will be able to afford IVF.

It is thought that the changes, aimed at saving $226 million over five years, could increase out-of-pocket expenses for an IVF cycle from $4000 to $5000, Fertility Society president ­Michael Chapman told the Daily Telegraph.

The Government disputes this figure, claiming the average cost of an initial IVF cycle would rise only slightly from $2720 to $2730, while the cost of a second cycle would increase from $5085 to $5398.

But fertility experts have questioned the Government’s modeling used to arrive at these figures, and claim there is a real possibility of IVF being accessible only for the wealthy.

The proposed legislation follows the opening of several clinics that claim to bulk bill IVF.

So the question is: should Medicare fund IVF and if so, how much?