Parenthood will become harder for thousands of NSW residents as an Australian-first scheme to help boost fertility rates will be scaled back in a matter of months.
The Fertility Treatment Rebate was introduced by the Coalition in January 2023, and has provided more than 14,000 women in NSW with a one-off $2000 cash payment for IVF treatment.
The NSW Labor government has now announced it is widely reducing who is eligible for the rebate because it was costing them too much.
'The previous government established the program in January 2023, right before the election campaign, the real tragedy is they didn't put any money into it,' NSW Premier Chris Minns said.
'We looked at the scheme, we thought it was genuinely worthwhile ... but the number of people that applied for the scheme was far beyond what the government could afford.'
It will now be means tested and applicants will only be eligible if they have Family Tax Benefit or hold a Health Care Card or collectively earn less than $116,000 per year.
'That's the equivalent of $58,000 per person - about $25,000 less than the starting salary of a teacher,' Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said.
'This is a cruel, distressing blow for the thousands of women and their partners who were relying on this subsidy to support their dreams of having a family,' Mr Speakman said.
A single round of IVF can cost anywhere from $6000 to $12,000, depending on the treatment required and individual insurance coverage. The Minns government will tighten criteria for a NSW government IVF rebate scheme
Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane blasted the amendment, saying it could have 'potentially life-changing consequences for thousands of hopeful parents'.
'Chris Minns is now asking many women to make an impossible choice - pay household bills or pursue their dream to have a baby,' she said.
National fertility clinic Adora Fertility said changes add 'just another hurdle for those trying to make their dreams of becoming parents a reality'.
"Our goal is to give every Australian access affordable fertility treatments," chief executive Vanessa Ferguson said. "With minimum wage just under $50k/year eligibility restricted low/middle-income earners; infertility affects anyone."
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