Why becoming pregnant just got harder for thousands of Aussie women courtesy of the NSW government

Parenthood will become harder for thousands of NSW residents as an Australian-first scheme to help boost fertility rates will be scaled back in a matter of months.

The Fertility Treatment Rebate was introduced by the Coalition in January 2023, and has provided more than 14,000 women in NSW with a one-off $2000 cash payment for IVF treatment.

The NSW Labor government has now announced it is widely reducing who is eligible for the rebate because it was costing them too much.

‘The previous government established the program in January 2023, right before the election campaign, the real tragedy is they didn’t put any money into it,’ NSW Premier Chris Minns said.

‘We looked at the scheme, we thought it was genuinely worthwhile … but the number of people that applied for the scheme was far beyond what the government could afford.’

It will now be means tested and applicants will now only be eligible if they have Family Tax Benefit or hold a Health Care Card or collectively earn less than $116,000 per year.

‘That’s the equivalent of $58,000 per person – about $25,000 less than the starting salary of a teacher,’ Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said.

‘This is a cruel, distressing blow for the thousands of women and their partners who were relying on this subsidy to support their dreams of having a family,’ Mr Speakman said.

A single round of IVF can cost up anywhere from $6000 to $12,000, depending on the treatment required and the individual’s type of insurance coverage.

The treatment program had already provided more than 14,000 women with cash payments which would go towards IVF treatment 

Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane blasted the amendment, saying it could have ‘potentially life-changing consequences for thousands of hopeful parents’.

‘Chris Minns is now asking many women to make an impossible choice – pay the household bills or pursue their dream to have a baby,’ she said. 

National fertility clinic Adora Fertility said the changes add ‘just another hurdle for those trying to make their dreams of becoming parents a reality’.

‘Our goal is to give every Australian the option to access affordable fertility treatments,’ chief executive Vanessa Ferguson said. ‘With the minimum wage in Australia just under $50k a year, eligibility for the rebate will be restricted to low and middle-income earners and as we know infertility can affect anyone.

In NSW, one in seven couples face fertility issues, with one in 16 children conceived and born through IVF

In addition to the changes in eligibility, the NSW government announced it would more than double the funding for the Fertility Treatment Rebate.

According to NSW Health Minister Ryan Park, the initial $24m in funding for the fertility treatment was increased after the ‘previous government … ran out of funds after being oversubscribed within less than the planned four years’.

‘This is already an incredibly challenging and costly experience for these families, so the rebate will help to take some of the financial burden away from eligible recipients,’ Mr Park said.

‘The NSW government’s $52.2m investment in fertility support is part of the NSW government’s $130.9m Family Start Package which aims to help families across NSW with cost-of-living pressures.

In June, the NSW government announced it would be doubling its funding for fertility support for low and middle-income earners and scaling back eligibility for the one-off rebate.

‘The NSW government is committed to easing cost-of-living pressures by helping low-to-middle income people who are trying to start or grow their families.

‘This is already an incredibly challenging and costly experience for these families, so the rebate will help to take some of the financial burden away from eligible recipients.

‘By introducing an income eligibility test, it ensures the rebate can continue and goes to those families who are most in need of financial support.’

Mr Park confirmed the NSW government would continue monitoring the rebate’s uptake.