Women who are struggling to become pregnant set to receive IVF treatment for FREE as part of a $42million fertility plan
- Women under 40 who are struggling to conceive could receive free treatment
- The scheme is part of a $42million fertility plan by NSW Health Ministry
- Doctors across the state’s three top hospitals will discuss proposal on Monday
- It’ll include allowing cancer patients who need chemo to freeze embryos for free
Women who are struggling to conceive could be entitled to free rounds of IVF under a new $42million government scheme.
The initiative will be discussed between the New South Wales Health Ministry and top doctors from Westmead, Royal Prince Alfred and Randwick’s Royal Hospital on Monday.
Doctors will decide how to properly allocate the funds which had been promised by the State Government during the federal election.
They will propose allowing women under the age of 40 and with a body mass index (BMI) under 36 to receive two IVF treatments free of charge, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Women under 40 who are struggling to get pregnant could receive free treatment under a new $42million government fertility plan
Cancer patients who need chemotherapy would also be allowed to freeze their embryos for free if the program is approved.
However, officials are still in the process of deciding whether it is more financially sound to offer treatments for free or at a reduced rate instead.
Under the private health system, IVF treatment can cost up to $10,000 in out-of-pocket costs.
Meanwhile, more affordable treatments at certain clinics can still cost up to $2,000.
‘We want to bring that down substantially but we don’t know how far we can go,’ NSW Health deputy secretary Nigel Lyons told the publication.
‘It is a trade-off between how many women we can treat and how heavily we reduce the costs.’
The money for the scheme will be available from January 1, 2020.

Cancer patients who need chemotherapy would also be allowed to freeze their embryos for free if the program is approved