Fertility treatment tax credit hits close to home

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This article was published 03/06/2010 (5953 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A new provincial tax credit is set to breathe life into hopes of Manitoban couples that want to start or grow their families.

Effective Oct. 1, the new fertility tax credit will provide a 40% refundable credit on annual costs of up to $20,000 a year, for a maximum benefit of $8,000.

One Tuxedo mother says the move will benefit thousands of Manitobans in communities across the province.

“This tax credit is so important because one in six couples in Manitoba are infertile,” said Paula Chorney, a Manitoba board member of the Infertility Awareness Association of Canada.

“The main benefits of this credit will see a reduction of some of the financial burden on couples who undergo expensive fertility treatments such as IUI (intra-uterine insemination) and IVF (in vitro fertilization).”

Treatments at an accredited infertility treatment clinic in Manitoba will be covered as part of the new tax credit. Currently, the Heartland Fertility and Gynecology Clinic on Portage Avenue near Polo Park is the only such facility in Winnipeg.

The tax credit, which is claimable on a calendar year basis, applies not just to IVF but also other treatments and drugs prescribed by the accredited clinic for both men and women.

Chorney, 39, has firsthand knowledge of the emotional and financial challenges faced by would-be parents dealing with infertility issues.

The University of Manitoba administrator and her husband Vince, now 40, began treatments four years ago. As a result, they now have a three-year old daughter, Emma, who turns four on June 5.

Chorney said the couple was diagnosed with “unexplained infertility” at the time, as the doctors at Heartland couldn’t pinpoint the root of their problem.

“We had miscarriages, and it was very emotional and extremely sad. We both felt helpless. Most people describe it as an emotional roller-coaster,” Chorney said.

Compounding their emotional trauma, the couple also had to tighten their belts financially to afford the treatments, despite some coverage from Vince’s health plan.

“We did need to save money and use our line of credit for the treatments,” Chorney said, adding they spend around $7,000 in total.

Chorney said the expense is compounded for people who need to undergo several cycles of IUI or IVF to “realize their dream of having a baby.”

The credit has received criticism from the Canadian Taxpayers Association, which says any kind of tax relief needs to be more balanced.

“The intension of helping them is noble, but a more equitable approach would be to provide more tax relief across the board,” said CTA prairie director Colin Craig.

“Such credits are the reason the tax code has grown to more than 2,000 pages. There are all sorts of problems out there, but you can’t create a tax credit for everyone.”

Chorney said the local chapter of the IAAC runs support groups every two weeks.

“This allows women and men afflicted with infertility to talk to others who are in the same situation as them and to know they are not alone,” she said.

For more information, visit www.wircwpg.ca, email mbiaac@hotmail.com or call 488-2673.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com