IVF treatment assists people who are infertile to conceive and have a baby. It may be a male and/or female infertility issue preventing conception or a combination of both. Infertility is the term used when couples have not been able to conceive after 12 months of regular unprotected sex when the woman is under 35 years of age. Or, when the couple has not been able to conceive after 6 months of regular unprotected sex when the woman is 35 years of age or over.
A Specialist will typically conduct some diagnostic examinations to determine the cause of infertility. Not all couples will require IVF treatment; some may be able to conceive a baby by continuing to try naturally (with or without medication) or through less invasive therapies. It is best to discuss your options for IVF with your doctor.
To be eligible for the rebate, you must:
Before you apply, ask your fertility specialist to:
You must provide one receipt of an eligible test as proof of your expenses.
The rebate applies to tests for both men and women. However, the woman seeking to become pregnant must lodge the claim on behalf of herself, or her partner or donor, provided that the partner or donor has given consent. (NSW Health acknowledges that people in the transgender community, or who are non-binary, may receive fertility testing but may not identify as women.)
The full rebate amount of $250 is available even if the receipt you supply is for less than this amount. Women can only claim and receive the rebate once. The rebate is provided in addition to Medicare and any private health insurance rebates available to you.
To claim the rebate:
If your application is approved, the rebate will be transferred into your nominated bank account within 28 working days. For information on the status or outcome of your claim, contact Service NSW on 13 77 88.
To claim the rebate, you must provide one receipt for an eligible examination. The receipt must show the examination item and out-of-pocket cost incurred.
A specialist must confirm your eligibility for the rebate on the Pre-IVF Fertility Testing Rebate Form. The following Specialists can confirm eligibility for the rebate:
While GPs can order fertility examinations, only Specialists can confirm eligibility for the rebate on the Pre-IVF Fertility Testing Rebate form. A referral letter from a GP is not sufficient.
As a pre-IVF rebate, the rebate is not available for in-cycle IVF procedures or post-IVF examinations. However, if you have already progressed to IVF treatment, it is likely that you undertook one of the eligible pre-IVF diagnostic examinations before beginning IVF treatment and may wish to claim for this.
Tests applying to both men and women are eligible for the rebate. However, the woman seeking to become pregnant must lodge the claim on behalf of herself, or her partner or donor.
This ensures only one applicant from the partnership seeking to have a child can claim the rebate. The woman is the most appropriate person to receive the rebate as this covers the broadest range of partnerships, including same sex relationships and situations where a surrogate is involved.
Yes. Anyone considering IVF treatment who has out-of-pocket medical costs for testing to determine their fertility is eligible to receive the rebate.
Only people who are residents of NSW at the time of testing are eligible. NSW residents can claim the rebate for fertility testing provided in NSW or in another state.
If your specialist is outside of NSW, they may not appear in the drop-down list when lodging your claim online. If this happens, please contact Service NSW at 13 77 88 with your specialist's name and their registration number (Australian Health Practitioner Registration Agency [Ahpra]). Service NSW will verify your provider and add them to the Specialist list if eligible.
To be eligible for the rebate you must:
The rebate is $2000. Eligible applicants may claim the $2,000 rebate if they have incurred an eligible out-of-pocket cost for fertility treatment from an accredited ART provider.
Applicants can claim the rebate for out-of-pocket costs associated with ART treatment. This includes artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), gamete intrafallopian transfer and any related treatment or procedure that is outlined in the Fertility Treatment Rebate Terms and Conditions.
You can only receive this rebate once.
Yes, these are two separate rebates. Receiving the Pre-IVF Testing Rebate will not disqualify you from applying for the fertility treatment rebate. The Pre-IVF Testing Rebate covers four fertility tests (listed above), while the new fertility treatment rebate covers fertility treatments that have been undertaken at a private clinic.
The following costs are unable to be claimed for this rebate:
If you are accessing lower cost IVF through one of the publicly supported clinics, any out-of-pocket costs associated with this treatment are ineligible for this rebate. However, this does not exclude you from claiming the rebate at a future date if you have out-of-pocket costs associated with treatment outside of a publicly supported clinic. This rebate also does not apply the storage of eggs, ovarian tissue or sperm for the sole purpose of fertility preservation.
You will need proof of an out-of-pocket cost incurred at an accredited private clinic. This may be an invoice or receipt of payment from the clinic.
You will also need a Fertility Treatment Declaration Form [PDF] fully completed by the ART Provider’s authorised representative and evidence detailing:
Yes, you can claim both of these rebates in person at any Service NSW Service Centre.
Any NSW resident who is eligible for Medicare and who is referred by their doctor can access the publicly supported IVF clinics. The clinic must also deem IVF treatment clinically appropriate for the patient.
To access this service, please contact your GP for a referral. Alternatively, one or more of the IVF clinics participating in the initiative can provide you with personalised advice.
Under the initiative patient's out-of-pocket expenses, after claiming Medicare, will not exceed $1,000 for an IVF cycle or $765 for a Frozen Embryo Treatment (FET) cycle. There is an extra fee for any patient who uses donor gametes as this involves a service which is additional to the standard IVF cycle.
Out-of-pocket costs at the three government supported clinics are substantially lower than most private clinics. There are other accredited assisted reproductive technology providers in NSW. Some of these clinics also offer lower cost treatment options, including private centres that offer bulk-billing for cycle fees.
All women and men are eligible for lower cost IVF treatment, provided that an IVF clinic specialist determines that IVF treatment is clinically appropriate for them.
Yes. Any woman with a confirmed fertility issue can be considered for lower cost treatment where clinically appropriate. However, in line with the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Act 2007, all publicly supported IVF clinics require that donor sperm (or oocytes) must be from a known donor.
Yes, all publicly supported clinics offer frozen embryo transfer (FET). During the IVF cycle, a number of eggs may be collected during the retrieval stage. All publicly supported clinics will freeze the extra eggs and can then do an FET cycle should the IVF cycle not be successful.
Preimplantation genetic testing of any type is not supported by the initiative. The publicly supported clinics may offer genetic testing as part of the IVF treatment cycle at an additional cost.
No. Clinics will not means test their patients under this initiative. The clinics are responsible for supporting women from priority populations including people who may need access to culturally sensitive services or who might have difficulty affording IVF treatment. Clinics may prioritise access to IVF treatment for women in these target groups.
If demand is higher than can be met by a clinic then patients will have the option to join a waiting list or access treatment at another registered clinic.
The clinics involved in the initiative are committed to supporting increased access to their services for patients in rural and regional areas. People based in a regional or remote location may be eligible for financial assistance for specialist treatment under the Isolated Patient Travel and Accommodation Scheme (IPTAAS).
The side effects of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other treatments can leave patients infertile, adding to the psychological and emotional burden of a medical diagnosis and treatment. There is usually only a small window of time to freeze eggs, ovarian tissue or sperm prior to a patient receiving potentially sterilising treatment.
The state-wide fertility preservation service provides these patients with access to the latest technology, research and comprehensive ongoing fertility treatment to give them the best chance of having a family in the future.
Any NSW resident with a medical need who is referred by their doctor can access the fertility preservation service at the Fertility and Research Centre. The Fertility and Research Centre at The Royal Hospital for Women (9382 6666) or the Westmead Fertility Centre (8890 7484)
People based in a regional or remote location may be eligible for financial assistance for specialist treatment under the Isolated Patient Travel and Accommodation Scheme (IPTAAS).
The NSW Government will manage rebate records, including the Pre-IVF Fertility Testing Rebate Form and related attachments, in accordance with NSW privacy laws, including the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002. This is outlined in the Privacy Statement for Specialists and the Privacy Statement for Patients.
To protect your privacy, the NSW Ministry of Health does not accept personal information via email. When applying for the Pre-IVF Testing Rebate your personal information provided via the Service NSW application will be held in a secure database maintained by Service NSW and accessible to NSW Ministry of Health.
More information on how your personal information is managed can be found at Privacy and Service NSW - Privacy.
