Where public, affordable IVF is available in Australia
Doctors say some Australian women are pulling money from their superannuation to fund fertility treatments that are available for free one state over. SEARCH THE MAP
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Doctors say Australian women are pulling money from their superannuation to fund fertility treatments that are available for free elsewhere, and are calling for access to public services to be expanded across all states.
South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory do not provide IVF through their public state systems and are also devoid of dedicated bulk-billing private clinics offering low-cost cycles.
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) deputy chair Tasmania Lindsay Edwards said it was “not equitable” to deny women access to reproductive health based on where they lived or how much money they earnt.
“RANZCOG believes public fertility care should be made available in every state and territory,” Dr Edwards said.
“As an obstetrician in Tasmania, we hear of women withdrawing funds from their super just to be able to afford access to a health service that is publicly funded one state away in Victoria.
“It’s not fair to make women choose between having a family and financial security in their retirement years.”
The number of applications received for compassionate release of superannuation for IVF has climbed steadily in recent years, hitting about 5200 in 2023-24.
According to Australian Taxation Office data, around 4210 applications were approved.
The amount ticked off hit about $64.1m — up from around $47.9m the financial year prior, and surging from about $36.2m in 2018-19.
Earlier this year News Corp revealed some IVF clinics charge up to $12,827 for a standard cycle.
Some Australian fertility businesses offer reduced prices through bulk-billing but access can vary depending on location.
Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand board member Manuela Toledosaid even these clinics had upfront costs, and often did not offer “the more complicated IVF treatment”.
She said the society wanted to see people able to access the required fertility treatment on a needs, rather than cost, basis.
Dr Toledo, based in Tasmania, said she had also seen people accessing their super to fund fertility treatment, which was “not ideal”.
“We would encourage state governments to look at how can they support their fertility patients to access IVF treatment if needed,” she said.
Dr Toledo said she believed access was going to be discussed “more and more”, with one in five couples experiencing infertility and people having children older due to pressures like housing.
She said IVF clinics around the country offered bulk-billed services for patients facing cancer.
Hollie Bennett welcomed her second child, daughter Bonnie, in December last year thanks to Victoria’s public fertility program.
The 39-year-old’s eldest son is 15 and she and her partner started trying for a second child when he was a few years old.
Ms Bennett, who was diagnosed with stage four endometriosis, said she and her partner tried for about 11 years.
“I had multiple surgeries and was told that my only way was IVF, but it was just too expensive for us because we were trying to save for a house,” she said.
“It was just never was an option.”
Ms Bennett had given up hope she would have a second child when in 2023 her sister-in-law sent her a message about the new public IVF program.
“I just thought it was too good to be true,” Ms Bennett said.
Ms Bennett said it was about five months between getting a referral from her gynaecologist and falling pregnant.
She said costs for the IVF process only amounted to about $250 for medication, with the rest free.
Ms Bennett, who lives between Melbourne and Bendigo in Taradale, was able to use services in both cities and gave birth to Bonnie in Castlemaine.
“We can’t believe she happened,” Ms Bennett said.
“She’s a miracle.”
Victoria’s Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said for too long and for too many of the state’s residents, treatments like IVF have been financially out of reach.
The state’s public fertility care service, which is free to eligible singles and couples and launched in 2022, had supported thousands of Victorians to begin their fertility journey, she said.
Services are supported by Australia’s first public egg and sperm bank at the Royal Women’s Hospital.
NSW offers residents rebates for fertility treatments, and several government-supported clinics provide lower costs.
A SA Health spokeswoman said Flinders Fertility, part-owned by SA Health, provided discounted IVF treatments for concession card holders.
An ACT government spokeswoman said establishing a low-cost public IVF service was a 2024 election commitment and it was continuing to explore options for making fertility treatment more affordable.
A Tasmanian government spokeswoman said it acknowledged access to IVF services was an issue affecting some residents.
“There are no immediate plans to provide IVF procedures through the public health system,” she said.
“However, we are aware of recent changes occurring in other Australian jurisdictions and will monitor these closely.
“We would also welcome an expansion of Medicare to cover more of the costs and make IVF more accessible.”
Northern Territory Health Minister Steve Edgington said the territory did not have any legislation which covered the provision of IVF services.
He said there was a private provider in Darwin which operated under South Australian legislation.
A WA government spokeswoman said the state provided the Reproductive Medicine Service through its Women and Newborn Health Service at King Edward Memorial Hospital, which provided infertility services such as IVF.
“The service offers consultation through the public hospital before subsidising any necessary fertility procedure through one of WA’s private fertility clinics,” she said.
Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls said while there were currently no public assisted reproductive technology clinics, the government was committed to establishing safeguards for when a service launched.
Ms Bennett said all Australians should have the opportunity to access free IVF if they needed it.
“Families need help conceiving,” she said.
“I can’t imagine the heartbreak with the financial burden behind each (IVF) cycle that women go through.”
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