Yes, IVF is partially covered in Ontario through the Ontario Fertility Program (OFP), but there are important limits. The program funds one IVF cycle per patient, and you must be under 43 years old with a valid Ontario health card. While the core procedure is covered, several significant costs, including fertility medications, are not.
What the Ontario Fertility Program Covers
The provincial government funds one IVF treatment cycle per patient through the OFP. That cycle includes egg retrieval, lab fertilization, and the transfer of embryos into the uterus. A key detail: the funded cycle covers the one-at-a-time transfer of all viable embryos created during that cycle. So if your first transfer doesn’t result in a pregnancy but you have remaining frozen embryos from the same retrieval, those subsequent frozen embryo transfers are still part of your single funded cycle.
IVF isn’t the only fertility treatment covered. The program also funds intrauterine insemination (IUI) and fertility preservation services like egg or sperm freezing. As of 2026, 56 clinics across Ontario are part of the program, operating in both hospital and community settings.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for a government-funded IVF cycle, you need to meet two basic criteria: you must live in Ontario with a valid Ontario health card, and you must be under 43 years old. The age requirement applies to the person whose eggs are being used. The program does not require a medical infertility diagnosis, which means single individuals and LGBTQ+ couples can access funded cycles without needing to demonstrate a specific medical condition preventing conception.
The one-cycle-per-patient rule is a lifetime limit, not annual. If your funded cycle doesn’t result in a pregnancy and you have no remaining embryos, any additional IVF cycles would be entirely out of pocket.
What You Still Pay For
The funded cycle covers the core medical procedures, but fertility medications are a major out-of-pocket expense. The hormonal drugs used to stimulate egg production typically cost between $2,000 and $7,000 per cycle depending on the protocol and dosage your clinic prescribes. Some private insurance plans through employers cover a portion of fertility medications, so it’s worth checking your benefits package before starting treatment.
Other costs that often fall outside the funded program include storage fees for frozen embryos or eggs, genetic testing of embryos before transfer, and any additional services like donor eggs or sperm. Clinics may also charge administrative or facility fees that aren’t covered by the program. These vary significantly between clinics, so ask for a full cost breakdown before committing to a specific location.
Wait Times and Clinic Access
Demand for funded IVF cycles has historically exceeded supply, creating wait times at many Ontario clinics. The provincial government has been scaling up investment to address this. An initial $50 million was allocated in 2025/26, followed by $100 million in 2026/27 to support an estimated 10,000 additional IVF cycles. That expansion added two new IVF clinics and brought the total to 56 participating clinics across the province.
Wait times vary by clinic and region. Clinics in the Greater Toronto Area tend to have longer waits than those in smaller cities. You’re free to choose any participating clinic in Ontario, so if your nearest clinic has a long waitlist, it may be worth calling clinics in other cities to compare. Your family doctor or OB-GYN can refer you to a fertility clinic, or in many cases you can self-refer directly.
How to Get Started
The process typically begins with a referral to a fertility clinic that participates in the Ontario Fertility Program. At your first appointment, the clinic will run diagnostic tests, many of which are covered under standard OHIP. These usually include blood work to check hormone levels and ultrasounds to assess ovarian reserve. For male partners, a semen analysis is also standard.
Once your clinic confirms you’re eligible for a funded cycle, you’ll be placed on their waitlist if one exists. When your turn comes, you’ll begin the stimulation phase, where you take injectable medications for roughly 10 to 14 days to encourage multiple eggs to develop. After retrieval and fertilization in the lab, the clinic transfers one embryo at a time. Any additional viable embryos are frozen for future transfers, all still under your single funded cycle. A typical IVF cycle from the start of medication to a pregnancy test takes about four to six weeks.