Following the adoption of Law 73, ensuring free in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles, fertility clinics are no longer accepting new patients for an indefinite period. A lack of information from Quebec that would have allowed the law to be applied explains the clinics’ decision.
On November 10, the Minister for Health and Social Services, Lionel Carmant, announced that Bill 73 would be effective from November 15. Too short a deadline to plan an adequate application of the law on the ground, and to reorganize the functioning of the clinics, estimates the fertility clinic Fertilys, in Laval.
We “still do not have the information and measures that would allow us to proceed, on the announced date, to the registration of patients under the public program,” the clinic said on its Facebook page on November 13. .
Since then, the healthcare establishment has been obliged “to suspend all registration in the public program, both for insemination cycles and for those of in vitro fertilization, until further notice”, can we read in the same publication.
The same scenario occurs at the Ovo and Procrea Fertility Clinic. “In the meantime, we are continuing our activities and will continue to see our patients having started treatment under certain conditions”, however mentioned the two clinics in a Facebook post.
“It’s a wait, after a wait,” laments Anne *, a client of the Fertilys clinic, who wished to remain anonymous. “Yes the bill has been adopted, but the directives in relation to the bill have not been well planned, so we are paying for it now,” she adds, in an interview with Press.
The woman who started her first embryo transfer more than a month ago does not know when she will be able to resume treatment. “It’s the expectation and the uncertainty that really creates stress,” she says. She points out that paid treatments, as well as those which are free under the new law, are currently suspended at Fertilys.
For Céline Braun, president of the Association infertility Quebec (ACIQ), it is surprising that fertility clinics are suspending their activities in this way. “I thought the clinics involved in the discussions,” she told Press, in writing. “We were very surprised to hear this, especially since very often, doctors gave information on the progress of the program to their patients,” she adds.
The IVF cycle covered by law includes ovarian stimulation services, ovarian puncture, standard IVF services, donor sperm straw, surgical sperm collection, freezing and storage of additional embryos for one year. , as well as the transfer of each embryo.
The Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) covers six artificial inseminations within the framework of the law.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) did not wish to answer questions from Press before Monday.
* fictitious name