In an Australian first, women in NSW undergoing IVF and accessing other assisted reproductive treatments will soon be given a cash rebate of up to $2,000 to reduce treatment costs.
This includes women who use private fertility clinics as well as those accessing publicly supported IVF clinics.
Under the scheme, eligible families will be able to receive up to $2,000 depending on the cost of their required treatment.
Currently around one in 20 births in Australia involve some form of assisted reproductive treatment.
“We know that the costs of these treatments can be prohibitively expensive,” Treasurer Matt Kean said.
“No-one should have to face the impossible choice between looking after their household budget and starting a family.”
In addition to the $2,000 rebate, the fertility package will also:
- extend rebates for pre-IVF fertility testing
- boost the number of fertility preservation services for patients with cancer and other medical needs
- provide five days of paid fertility treatment leave for teachers, nurses and other public servants across NSW.
The $2,000 rebate will open 1 January 2023. Women who have undergone an eligible procedure from 1 October 2022 will be able to submit a claim when the rebate scheme opens.
The rebate scheme will initially be open to 12,000 eligible women, after which a full evaluation will be completed to ensure private fees have remained low and competitive before any extension is considered.
Minister for Health Brad Hazzard said that the rebate will hopefully help more women become pregnant and sooner.
“We want to make sure the costs don’t stop women from accessing fertility services which would give them the best chance of being able to conceive,” he said.
