IVF is expensive.
That’s just the reality of it. A single cycle in Ontario can run anywhere from $10,000 CAD to $20,000 CAD or more once medication is factored in, and most people need more than one attempt. For a lot of families, that number sits between them and the family they’re trying to build.
The Government of Ontario IVF Funding Program exists to change that math for eligible residents. It doesn’t make fertility treatment free for everyone, and it doesn’t cover every cost even for the people it does cover. But for those who qualify, it removes the single largest line item from the equation.
This guide explains how the program works, who it’s designed for, what it actually covers, how to apply, and what your options look like if funded treatment isn’t the right fit for your situation.
What is the Government of Ontario IVF Funding Program?
It’s a provincial program that funds fertility treatment for eligible Ontario residents, delivered through a network of participating fertility clinics across the province.
The program is called the Ontario Fertility Program (OFP). It launched in December 2015 and has been expanded significantly since then, most recently through a provincial commitment of $250 million aimed at tripling funded cycle capacity and adding new participating clinics.
The program covers three types of treatment, each with its own rules:
- IVF (in vitro fertilization): One funded cycle per person, for life, for those under 43.
- AI/IUI (artificial insemination and intrauterine insemination): Unlimited funded cycles, with no additional eligibility requirements beyond residency and a valid health card.
- Fertility preservation: One funded cycle, for patients diagnosed with a medical condition whose planned treatment may cause infertility.
Why does the Ontario Government IVF Funding exist?
One in six Ontarians experiences infertility. Before this program, treatment was almost entirely out of pocket, which meant access was largely determined by income rather than medical need. The OFP was built to change that, and it covers all forms of infertility, medical and non-medical, without limiting eligibility based on gender, sexual orientation, or family structure.
Who administers IVF Government Funding Ontario?
The Ontario Ministry of Health funds the program. Participating fertility clinics in Canada receive government funding and deliver the covered services to eligible patients. You don’t apply through a government office or OHIP directly. The clinic manages your application on your behalf.
Now few of you might be thinking 👇
Is OHIP the same as the Ontario Fertility Program?
No, and this is one of the most common points of confusion.
OHIP is Ontario’s general health insurance plan, covering things like doctor visits and hospital care. It doesn’t directly fund IVF. The Ontario Fertility Program is a separate government initiative with its own funding stream and eligibility criteria. The two exist side by side, which is why you’ll sometimes hear the terms used interchangeably even though they’re technically different things.
Who can benefit from the Ontario IVF Funding Program?
The program was designed to make IVF accessible to anyone in Ontario who genuinely needs it, not just those who fit a narrow definition of who “should” be having children.
In practice, that means:
- Couples experiencing infertility, whether the cause is diagnosed or unexplained
- Single individuals pursuing parenthood, typically using donor sperm or eggs
- LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, including those pursuing reciprocal IVF, where one partner provides the eggs and the other carries the pregnancy
- Patients with medical diagnoses that affect fertility, including those needing fertility preservation before cancer treatment
The program explicitly states that eligibility is not based on sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or family status. That’s not a footnote. It’s a core design principle.
There are eligibility requirements you’ll need to meet, including residency, a valid health card, and age criteria. Rather than repeating them in full here, our Ontario IVF Funding Eligibility Guide covers every requirement in detail.
How does the Ontario IVF Funding Program work?
The process moves through five clear stages. Here’s what each one actually involves.
Step 1: Get referred to a participating fertility clinic
Everything starts with a referral to a clinic that participates in the Ontario Fertility Program. Not every fertility clinic in Ontario is enrolled, so it’s worth confirming this before booking.
You can get a referral from your family doctor or specialist, or in some cases book free consultation directly with a participating clinic. There’s no separate government application to complete at this stage.
Step 2: Complete your fertility assessment
The clinic runs the diagnostic testing needed to understand your situation and confirm that IVF is the right course of treatment. This typically includes bloodwork, ultrasound, and a semen analysis where applicable.
This step matters. It’s what establishes your medical picture before treatment and forms the basis of your eligibility confirmation.
Step 3: Confirm eligibility
Your fertility specialist reviews your test results and confirms that you meet the program’s requirements. The clinic then submits your funding application to the Ministry of Health on your behalf. You don’t fill this in yourself.
This stage can take several weeks, so it’s worth starting the process earlier rather than later, particularly if you’re approaching the program’s age cutoff.
Step 4: Join the clinic’s funding queue
Once your eligibility is confirmed, you join that clinic’s funded cycle queue. There’s no province-wide waitlist. Each clinic manages its own, and timelines vary considerably from one to the next.
How quickly you move through the queue depends on the clinic’s demand, their current funding allocation, and how your physician prioritizes based on clinical need. For a full breakdown of how this works, our Ontario IVF Funding Waitlist Explained guide covers it in detail.
Step 5: Begin your funded IVF cycle
When your spot becomes available, the clinic contacts you to begin a funding agreement and finalize your treatment plan. Your funded cycle then begins with ovarian stimulation.
What the funded cycle includes, and what it doesn’t, is more detailed than most people expect. Our OHIP Funded IVF Cycle: What You Need to Know guide covers the full picture.
What financial support does the program provide to you?
The Ontario Fertility Program covers the core clinical components of treatment for all three funded service types. Here’s what that looks like at a high level.
IVF (one funded cycle, per person, per lifetime)
- Monitoring appointments during your treatment cycle (bloodwork and ultrasounds)
- Egg retrieval procedure
- Fertilization and laboratory services, including ICSI, blastocyst culture, and assisted hatching where clinically applicable
- All resulting embryo transfers from that cycle, completed one at a time
- Embryo freezing and culture as part of the funded cycle
AI / IUI (unlimited funded cycles)
- The insemination procedure itself, including intrauterine insemination where applicable
- No cap on the number of cycles for eligible patients
- No additional eligibility requirements beyond residency and a valid Ontario health card
Fertility preservation (one funded cycle, for medical reasons)
- Egg or sperm freezing for patients whose planned medical treatment, such as chemotherapy, may cause infertility
- Requires a confirmed diagnosis of a condition whose treatment is known to affect fertility
What expenses should you expect to pay yourself?
Even with funding, there are costs the program doesn’t cover. It’s better to know about them before treatment starts than to be surprised mid-cycle.
The most significant gaps tend to be:
- Fertility medications for IVF, estimated by the Ontario government at around $5,000 CAD per IVF cycle, and not included in the funded cycle
- Fertility medications for AI/IUI, estimated at around $1,000 CAD per cycle, also not covered
- Donor sperm or donor eggs, including their purchase, shipping, and storage
- Annual embryo storage after your funded cycle is complete
- PGT-A and other genetic testing, which are optional but chosen by some patients
- Optional add-on treatments that aren’t considered medically necessary under the program’s criteria
The Ontario Fertility Treatment Tax Credit, which launched in January 2025, lets eligible residents claim back 25% of fertility-related expenses up to $5,000 CAD a year. It won’t cover everything, but it meaningfully reduces the medication bill specifically.
Which fertility clinics participate in Ontario’s funding program?
Only clinics that are enrolled in the Ontario Fertility Program can offer funded IVF cycles. The list of participating clinics has grown substantially in recent years as the province has expanded the program, and it now includes clinics across Southern Ontario, the Greater Toronto Area, Kitchener-Waterloo, Barrie, Sudbury, and other regions.
Why availability differs between clinics
Each clinic receives its own government funding allocation and manages its own queue. A clinic with a larger allocation or lower demand may have immediate availability or a very short wait. A busier clinic in a high-demand area may have a longer queue.
Choosing the right fertility clinic in Ontario
The program lets you be assessed at and join the queue of more than one participating clinic, which is worth knowing before you commit to the first referral you’re offered. Factors worth considering alongside wait time include location, the clinic’s experience with your specific diagnosis, communication style, and how comfortable you feel with the care team.
NewLife Fertility participates in the Ontario Fertility Program across multiple locations throughout Ontario. Funded IVF and fertility preservation are available at the Mississauga (Sherwoodtowne Boulevard) location. Funded AI/IUI services are available at NewLife’s Brampton, Burlington, Concord, Hamilton, Milton, and Richmond Hill locations. If you’re exploring funded IVF specifically, our team can confirm the right location for your situation from your first free consultation.
How long does the funding process usually take?
From referral to the start of your funded cycle, timelines vary. Some clinics have no current waitlist and can begin treatment as soon as your assessment and eligibility are confirmed. Others have queues that have historically stretched well over a year.
The province’s ongoing funding expansion is specifically aimed at shortening these timelines, but the only way to know your actual number is to ask each clinic you’re considering directly.
What if you don’t qualify for government-funded IVF?
Not qualifying for the Ontario Fertility Program doesn’t close the door on IVF. It changes what the path looks like.
Private IVF is available at any time through participating and non-participating clinics. It removes the waitlist, lets you choose your timing and protocol more freely, and offers options that the funded program doesn’t cover, like more than one cycle, or treatment after the program’s age cutoff. The cost is higher, but the Ontario fertility treatment tax credit still applies to privately funded treatment.
Other family-building options may also be on the table depending on your diagnosis, including IUI, donor treatment, reciprocal IVF, or gestational surrogacy.
The most useful first step is talking to a fertility specialist directly. Not to make a decision, but to understand the full picture of what’s actually available to you before deciding anything.
Ontario IVF funding program at a glance
| Question | Quick Answer |
| Is it government funded? | Yes |
| Administered through | Ontario Fertility Program (OFP) |
| Is it the same as OHIP? | No |
| Does it cover everyone? | No, eligibility applies |
| IVF cycles covered | 1 per person, per lifetime (under 43) |
| AI/IUI cycles covered | Unlimited, no additional eligibility |
| Fertility preservation covered | 1 cycle, for medical reasons only |
| Medications included? | No |
| Approximate medication cost (IVF) | ~$5,000 per cycle |
| Approximate medication cost (AI/IUI) | ~$1,000 per cycle |
| Participating clinics required? | Yes |
| Do all participating clinics offer IVF? | No, service availability varies by clinic |
| LGBTQ+ patients eligible? | Yes |
| Single patients eligible? | Yes |
| Private IVF available alongside? | Yes |
Is the Government of Ontario IVF Funding Program the right option for your fertility journey?
For eligible Ontario residents, the Ontario Fertility Program is one of the most meaningful pieces of support available on the path to parenthood. It doesn’t cover everything, and it doesn’t make the journey easy, but for many patients it removes the financial barrier that would otherwise make treatment impossible.
Funding is one part of the picture.
The other part is finding the right clinical team, understanding your specific diagnosis, knowing which questions to ask, and making decisions that are actually right for your timeline and your situation, not just the most affordable ones on paper.
That’s the conversation NewLife Fertility is built for. Whether you’re exploring what the funded program means for you, comparing it with private treatment, or coming to us after another chapter of this journey didn’t go the way you hoped, our team is here for all of it.
Book your free consultation and let’s talk through what your path forward actually looks like.
Frequently asked questions about Ontario IVF funding
It’s a provincial government program, formally called the Ontario Fertility Program, that funds one complete IVF cycle for eligible Ontario residents, delivered through a network of participating fertility clinics.
Yes, for eligible residents. One funded IVF cycle is available per person, for life, through the Ontario Fertility Program.
No. OHIP is Ontario’s general health insurance plan. The Ontario Fertility Program is a separate government initiative with its own funding stream and eligibility criteria. IVF is funded through the OFP, not through OHIP directly.
You apply through a participating fertility clinic, not through a government office. The clinic runs your assessment, confirms eligibility, and submits the funding application to the Ministry of Health on your behalf.
No, in two ways. First, only clinics enrolled in the Ontario Fertility Program can deliver any funded services. Second, not every participating clinic offers every funded service type. Some are approved for AI/IUI only, while others offer IVF and fertility preservation as well. It’s worth confirming which services a specific location offers before booking your referral.
No. Medication costs are not included in the funded cycle and are paid out of pocket, though the Ontario Fertility Treatment Tax Credit can offset a portion.
Yes. The program explicitly states that eligibility is not based on gender, sexual orientation, or family status. This includes reciprocal IVF for same-sex couples.
Private IVF is available through most fertility clinics without the eligibility restrictions of the funded program. A consultation can help you understand what private treatment would look like for your situation.
Yes. Private IVF is available at any time and does not affect your eligibility for the funded program, as long as you haven’t already received a government-funded cycle.
