Panel advises excluding women over 42, severely obese women, from OHIP-covered IVF

Posted by & filed under Aging, IVF, News, OHIP.

OHIP-covered IVF was expected to roll out in Ontario months ago. To meet the province’s expectation of launching in 2015, things are going to have to develop quickly. And we’re already seeing that happen, with news about a panel’s advisory re: OHIP-covered IVF recently surfacing.

(If you aren’t caught up, I recommend reading my post on the latest status of OHIP-covered IVF in Ontario.)

So far, all we know is that the expert advisory panel has recommended excluding women over 42, and severely obese women, from eligibility for this coverage — on the basis that they’re medically less likely to see success from IVF, and that IVF could be more risky for their health.

With the failure of Quebec’s provincially-covered IVF program due to ballooning costs, it’s not surprising that the panel is considering cost-efficiency.

However, this is also controversial news. Some experts believe excluding women like this could be unethical. (And, needless to say, heartbreaking and upsetting for women who find themselves ineligible for this free round of treatment.)

The advisory panel had more recommendations, but they won’t be released until sometime this fall. We’ll keep you updated here.

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