How much should employers be spending on fertility benefits?
Rising demand for fertility support among Canadian workers is colliding with minimal workplace coverage, creating a growing pressure point for HR leaders responsible for benefits design, according to new data from Manulife Canada.
Released to coincide with Canadian Fertility Awareness Week on April 19–25, Manulife’s Group Benefits claims data show fertility medication claims increased by 21% over the past five years among its plan members.
Among employers with Manulife Group Benefits plans, 56% provide coverage for fertility medication, but fewer than 1% cover fertility clinic treatments such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF), Manulife said.
Despite comprising nearly half of the Canadian workforce, women are disproportionately affected by shortcomings in benefits, the report notes. Specifically, 75% say they want or need benefits that specifically support women’s health, including services related to fertility and menopause, according to a previous RBC report.
High treatment costs and financial strain
Manulife reported that one round of IVF in Canada can cost approximately $10,000 to $20,000, and multiple rounds are often required, leaving many families to pay substantial costs out of pocket even when drug coverage is available.
“For the one in six Canadian families who experience infertility, their journey is often marked by fear, anxiety, and financial strain that can quickly feel overwhelming,” said Jennifer Foubert, Head of Product at Manulife Group Benefits.
“When fertility coverage is available, we’ve seen first-hand how it can relieve some of the pressure and fundamentally change how people experience this chapter of their lives – not just in the clinic, but in the everyday decisions that surround it,” Foubert said.
Demographic trends drive fertility care needs
Manulife linked the rising demand for fertility support to shifting demographic patterns. Citing Statistics Canada, the company noted Canadians are having children later and at lower rates than in past decades.
The average age of mothers at first birth reached a record 31.8 years in 2024, up from 26.7 years in 1976, increasing the likelihood of age-related fertility challenges, Manulife said. Canada’s total fertility rate fell to 1.26 births per woman in 2023, well below the replacement rate of 2.1.
According to Manulife’s Group Benefits data, use of fertility drugs among women aged 25 to 34 increased by 13.5% over the past five years, while usage among women aged 35 to 44 rose by 24%.
In 2023, Amazon expanded its family-building benefits to staff around the world. Employees were given free virtual access to board-certified OB-GYNs, reproductive endocrinologists (fertility doctors), coaches, and other care providers to support fertility.
Policy gaps and the role of employers
Manulife said there is currently no national framework for IVF and other fertility services in Canada, and that coverage varies widely by province and territory, placing more weight on employer-sponsored benefits.
At the federal level, no statute or regulation sets out a mandatory fertility benefit that employers must offer. Federal employment guidance focuses on maternity and parental leave and related Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, not on employer‑paid fertility treatment coverage.
Employment and Social Development Canada states that employer top‑ups to EI maternity and parental benefits are optional.
“Employers are not required to register plans used to supplement EI maternity, parental, compassionate care or family caregiver benefits with Service Canada,” and such top‑ups are described as something “employers can offer,” not must offer.
Meanwhile, federal guidance to employers on pregnancy and parenting (for example, pamphlets on “Pregnancy, Parenting and the Workplace”) focuses on rights to leave, non‑discrimination and continuation of existing benefits during protected leaves, rather than imposing any fertility coverage mandate.
“Group benefits plans have a unique opportunity to better reflect families today,” said Ashesh Desai, Head of Group Benefits at Manulife Canada. “As more Canadians rely on fertility care to build their families, workplaces play an important role in shaping how employees experience this defining chapter of their lives.”
“When benefits coverage reflects this reality, fertility care becomes part of a broader life journey—supporting people not just at work, but in moments that stay with them for years to come,” Desai said.
For employers that opt in to fertility benefits, Manulife recommends a minimum of $15,000 per lifetime per family and noted that some plan sponsors offer up to $50,000 per lifetime per family.
Manulife pointed to its own benefits as an example, saying that in 2023 it expanded family planning support for employees to cover fertility treatments, medical procedures and drug costs “without cycle or dollar limits, or any lifetime maximum.”
Below is a high‑level snapshot of government fertility‑related funding and tax measures across Canada:
|
Province / Territory |
Main type of public fertility support |
Key features (summary) |
Key government source(s) |
|
British Columbia |
Publicly funded IVF program |
Province has launched a publicly funded in‑vitro fertilisation (IVF) program providing access to a one‑time funded IVF treatment cycle for eligible residents, delivered through participating clinics under the Medical Services Plan. |
B.C. Ministry of Health – Publicly funded IVF program page; program factsheet. |
|
Alberta |
No dedicated provincial fertility funding; general health and tax rules apply |
As of April 2026, no Alberta‑specific IVF or fertility funding program is described on Government of Alberta sites; residents rely on standard insured services plus the federal/provincial Medical Expense Tax Credit, which recognises “fertility‑related procedures” as eligible medical expenses. |
Canada Revenue Agency – Medical Expenses guide and Income Tax Folio S1‑F1‑C1 (Medical Expense Tax Credit). |
|
Saskatchewan |
Fertility Treatment Tax Credit |
2025–26 budget introduces a 50% refundable Fertility Treatment Tax Credit on eligible fertility treatment and prescription drug costs incurred in Saskatchewan, up to $20,000 in expenses (maximum $10,000 benefit) as a one‑time lifetime claim per filer. |
Government of Saskatchewan – Fertility Treatment Tax Credit page. |
|
Manitoba |
Fertility Treatment Tax Credit |
Manitoba offers a refundable Fertility Treatment Tax Credit, administered through the provincial income tax system, for eligible fertility treatment costs paid to licensed practitioners or clinics in the province; provincial finance materials describe enhanced support for those facing higher fertility costs. |
Manitoba Finance – Fertility Treatment Tax Credit FAQ; Budget documents. |
|
Ontario |
Publicly funded fertility program + refundable tax credit |
Ontario Fertility Program funds one IVF cycle per eligible person and certain other assisted reproduction procedures via participating clinics for OHIP‑insured residents. From 2025, the Ontario Fertility Treatment Tax Credit refunds 25% of eligible fertility and surrogacy expenses, up to $20,000 in costs per year (max $5,000 credit). |
Ontario – “Get fertility treatments” (Ontario Fertility Program); Ontario Fertility Treatment Tax Credit page; Ontario budget material. |
|
Québec |
Publicly insured IVF services + infertility tax credit |
Québec’s medically assisted reproduction program insures certain assisted reproduction services, including one lifetime covered IVF cycle, for eligible RAMQ‑insured patients under defined criteria. In addition, a separate Tax Credit for the Treatment of Infertility allows eligible residents to claim part of qualifying infertility‑treatment expenses, up to an annual cap. |
Gouvernement du Québec – Medically assisted reproduction program; RAMQ procréation médicalement assistée; Revenu Québec – Tax Credit for the Treatment of Infertility. |
|
New Brunswick |
Special Assistance Fund for Infertility Treatment |
New Brunswick offers a Special Assistance Fund for Infertility Treatment, a one‑time grant intended to ease fertility‑treatment costs for residents who received treatment at Canadian fertility clinics within the past 12 months; payment depends on available government funding. |
Government of New Brunswick – Infertility Treatment Special Assistance Fund application and service description. |
|
Nova Scotia |
Fertility and Surrogacy Tax Credit |
Nova Scotia provides a refundable Fertility and Surrogacy Tax Credit equal to 40% of eligible fertility and surrogacy‑related medical expenses, up to $20,000 in costs per year (maximum $8,000 annual credit), for expenses that qualify as medical expenses and are incurred in or related to services in Nova Scotia. |
Government of Nova Scotia – Fertility and Surrogacy Tax Credit program page and news release. |
|
Prince Edward Island |
Fertility Treatment Program (direct funding) |
P.E.I.’s Fertility Treatment Program provides funding support to permanent residents for IVF, intrauterine insemination (IUI) and associated prescribed medications received at fertility clinics in Canada. Approved applicants receive an eligibility letter specifying their maximum reimbursement amount and a 12‑month approval period. |
Government of Prince Edward Island – “Fertility Treatment Program: A Funding Support Program”. |
|
Newfoundland and Labrador |
IVF and fertility subsidy program |
Newfoundland and Labrador operates a fertility subsidy program administered by Newfoundland and Labrador Fertility Services. As of March 18, 2025, eligible patients can receive up to $20,000 in funding (one‑time maximum) for IVF‑related services and associated medications, replacing an earlier $5,000‑per‑cycle subsidy (up to three cycles). |
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador – news releases on expanding access to fertility services; NL Fertility Services subsidy program description. |
|
Yukon |
Medical travel coverage + planned tax credit |
Yukon has introduced medical travel coverage for fertility and surrogacy‑related trips for residents enrolled in the Yukon Health Care Insurance Plan and eligible under the Travel for Medical Treatment Act. The territory is also developing a refundable tax credit for fertility treatment, to apply in addition to travel coverage. |
Government of Yukon – “Find out which fertility and surrogacy costs our health plan covers”; “Government of Yukon developing tax credit for fertility treatment”. |
|
Northwest Territories |
No dedicated fertility‑funding program identified; general coverage and tax rules |
As of April 2026, there is no specific territorial fertility funding program publicly described; residents rely on the territorial health plan for medically necessary services plus federal/territorial Medical Expense Tax Credits, which include fertility‑related procedures as eligible medical expenses. |
Canada Revenue Agency – Medical Expenses guide and Medical Expense Tax Credit folio (applies nationwide, including N.W.T.). |
|
Nunavut |
No dedicated fertility‑funding program identified; general coverage and tax rules |
Similarly, Nunavut does not publish a dedicated fertility‑funding program; residents access care under Nunavut’s health system and can claim qualifying fertility‑related costs under the federal and territorial Medical Expense Tax Credits, which expressly include certain “fertility‑related procedures”. |
Canada Revenue Agency – Medical Expenses guide and Medical Expense Tax Credit folio. |
