OHIP (Ontario, Canada) Considers Extending IVF Coverage to MFI

_journey · 04-04-2007, 08:26 PM

I was doing some on-line research this morning to determine if any private health insurance companies in Ontario offer fertility treatment coverage in addition to OHIP's provisions, and came across a report released by the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee at the request of the Ministry of Health that recommended extending IVF coverage to patients with severe male factor infertility.

At present, the province only covers IVF for women with bilaterally blocked tubes. The argument put forth by the OHTAC is that men with severe MFI have the same IVF-only prognosis as women with tubal blockages, should they want to conceive their own biological children.

The full report can be found here http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/...ivf_101906.pdf
and a non-pdf summary can be found here http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/...vf_101906.html

The second site offers a contact e-mail, so I sent them a statement of support / query about implementation status. The report is very recent, tabled in October, 2006 so it may take a veeerrryyy long time before we actually get coverage - if ever, because these are recommendations - but I found the whole report very promising!

hemy · 04-11-2007, 06:32 AM

Thanks journey for pointing this out and for your research, I'm so happy that finally something like this came up and they realized that it is fare enough to cover the cases for extreme male infertility. I'm just really hoping that it will take an effect very soon.. do you know what would be the next step... I'll send them an email too to support the report and will ask about timing... hope to get a reply.
thanks again and please keep posting if you found any thing else about the same subject.. I will too.

_journey · 04-11-2007, 03:27 PM

Hello!

I'm glad you found the info useful! They did send me a reply, but it was basically to "advise" me that the recommendations are only that, and nothing has been decided at this point - they are officially under review. Sigh.

Oh well, at least the issue has been addressed. In my letter to them, I stated that the existing policy of covering female issues, when the only option for severe MFI is ALSO IVF (with ICSI), is not reflective of our universal health care policy and is discriminatory against half the population!

We aren't looking towards IVF for quite a while now, largely due to the money factor. However, I would think they may make their decision within the next year or so - with public significant public/politica; pressure, possibly earlier. Problem being, I doubt very many men would want to march in an MFI rally....

04-04-2007, 08:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
_journey Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 10	OHIP (Ontario, Canada) Considers Extending IVF Coverage to MFI I was doing some on-line research this morning to determine if any private health insurance companies in Ontario offer fertility treatment coverage in addition to OHIP's provisions, and came across a report released by the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee at the request of the Ministry of Health that recommended extending IVF coverage to patients with severe male factor infertility. At present, the province only covers IVF for women with bilaterally blocked tubes. The argument put forth by the OHTAC is that men with severe MFI have the same IVF-only prognosis as women with tubal blockages, should they want to conceive their own biological children. The full report can be found here http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/...ivf_101906.pdf and a non-pdf summary can be found here http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/...vf_101906.html The second site offers a contact e-mail, so I sent them a statement of support / query about implementation status. The report is very recent, tabled in October, 2006 so it may take a veeerrryyy long time before we actually get coverage - if ever, because these are recommendations - but I found the whole report very promising!

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04-11-2007, 06:32 AM	#2 (permalink)
hemy Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto, CA Posts: 23	Thanks journey for pointing this out and for your research, I'm so happy that finally something like this came up and they realized that it is fare enough to cover the cases for extreme male infertility. I'm just really hoping that it will take an effect very soon.. do you know what would be the next step... I'll send them an email too to support the report and will ask about timing... hope to get a reply. thanks again and please keep posting if you found any thing else about the same subject.. I will too.

04-11-2007, 03:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
_journey Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 10	Hello! I'm glad you found the info useful! They did send me a reply, but it was basically to "advise" me that the recommendations are only that, and nothing has been decided at this point - they are officially under review. Sigh. Oh well, at least the issue has been addressed. In my letter to them, I stated that the existing policy of covering female issues, when the only option for severe MFI is ALSO IVF (with ICSI), is not reflective of our universal health care policy and is discriminatory against half the population! We aren't looking towards IVF for quite a while now, largely due to the money factor. However, I would think they may make their decision within the next year or so - with public significant public/politica; pressure, possibly earlier. Problem being, I doubt very many men would want to march in an MFI rally....