Alongside the emotional weight of the fertility journey, the financial side can feel overwhelming, which is why IVF Canada’s publicly funded fertility support can make a meaningful difference.

Here is a practical, patient-friendly overview of the Ontario Fertility Program (OFP)

This overview covers how Ontario’s new fertility tax benefit works, and how you can move forward now in your journey – this is especially important because IVF Canada currently has no waitlist for the Ontario Fertility Program (OFP).

What is the Ontario Fertility Program (OFP)?

The Ontario Fertility Program is a provincially funded initiative that helps eligible Ontario residents access fertility treatment, most notably one funded IVF cycle per eligible patient at IVF Canada clinics. Our core goal is consistent: to make fertility care more accessible by covering key medical and lab components for IVF (and, in some cases, other services tied to fertility preservation or treatment pathways).

Who is typically eligible?

Eligibility is based on Ontario residency and health coverage, and it generally includes:

• Being an Ontario resident with a valid OHIP card

• Being under age 43 at the time of treatment (commonly referenced for funded IVF eligibility)

• Having not previously used your lifetime funded IVF cycle (with limited exceptions in special circumstances)

If you’re unsure whether you qualify, we can walk you through it quickly during an initial consult and help confirm how the criteria apply to your situation.

What does the funded IVF cycle include and what might still be out-of-pocket expenses? 

Patients are often surprised to learn that “funded IVF” doesn’t always mean every expense is covered. In many cases, the funded cycle includes major clinical and lab steps such as monitoring, embryo-related lab services, and embryo transfer, with “one-at-a-time” embryo transfer rules that guide how embryos are transferred.

However, many costs may still be patient-paid depending on your plan, such as:

• Fertility medications (often a significant portion)

• Donor sperm/eggs and related donor costs

• Genetic testing (PGT-A, PGT-M)

• Embryo storage fees

• Some additional procedures or optional services

The good news: Ontario’s newer tax benefit is designed to help relieve some of that out-of-pocket burden.

Ontario’s fertility tax benefit: a refundable credit up to $5,000 per year

Starting with expenses in the 2025 tax year, Ontario introduced the Ontario Fertility Treatment Tax Credit – a refundable tax credit meant to help with eligible fertility-treatment and surrogacy-related expenses.

How it works

• The credit is 25% of eligible expenses, up to $20,000 in expenses per year

• That means the credit can be worth up to $5,000 per year

• “Refundable” means you may receive it even if you don’t owe income tax that year (depending on your overall tax situation)

Ontario’s budget materials also note this credit is built on Ontario’s existing medical expense framework and can be claimed alongside existing medical expense tax credits where eligible.

(As always, we recommend confirming your specific claim with an accountant, especially if you’re combining credits or navigating partner/spouse claims.)

Who to get started at our clinics:

Here’s what a typical next-step plan looks like:

1. Book a consultation (individuals and couples welcome; inclusive care across family structures)

2. Complete baseline testing (tailored to your history and goals)

3. Review a recommended pathway (timed intercourse support, IUI, IVF, fertility preservation, etc.)

4. If IVF is recommended and you’re eligible, we help you navigate OFP funding and outline expected timelines, costs, and what to prepare

Whether you’ve just started asking questions or you’ve been trying for a long time, our role is to give you clarity, options, and a plan you can actually move forward with.

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