Quebec IVF funding: Gatan Barrette clarifies payouts for existing patients

At the time the lawwas passed, Health Minister Gatan Barrette said a woman who had purchased hermedication before Nov. 11and hada receipt to prove it wouldstill have the procedure covered. If the medication hadn't been paid for, she and her partner wouldhave to pay for the entire procedure themselves,at a cost of about $10,000.

Dreams dashed

That meant for many couples, the dream of having a child camedown to the date ona sales receipt, saidCAQhealth criticFranoisParadis.

A case in point is Marie-ClaudeMorency,currently undergoing IVF treatment.

She has a prescription, dated Nov. 2.

Last Friday, she and her husband were informed by their clinic that if they hadn't bought their medication yet, they would have to pay for the entire procedure.

"It was a disaster for me and my husband," saidMorency. "It's the end of my world, my dream. I have to ask my husband to make a choice between putting money down on our home or on my dream to have a baby. It's very sad for us."

Calls forwarded to Health Ministry

ThePartiQubcois and CoalitionAvenirQubec called the government "uncompassionate" and said the way the governmenthandled the transition away from fullyfunded IVF was"flawed."

Paradis saidhereceived calls and emails from people whose IVF date was set and who had the prescription in handbut hadn't yetbought the medication.

As well, many of the people staffing the province's information line have beenunable to answer questions about the program changes, he said, adding thosecalls werebeing forwarded to a Ministry of Health voicemail box.

Barrette revises transition plan

Late Thursday, Barrette's office issued a news release to clarify the criteria for receiving payments for IVF treatment from the Quebec government's health insurance agency, RAMQ, during the period of transition period.

Barrette now says anyone who consulted a fertility specialist or a obstetrician-gynecologistbefore Nov. 11 with the intention of undergoing IVF will have acycle of IVF covered, providing the specialist billed RAMQfor that initial consultation prior to Nov. 11.

That means anyone who, like Marie-Claude Morency, had a prescription for IVF-related drugs but hadn't yet filled it, will be covered for that cycle of treatment.

Calls for flexibility

Opposition health critics had not yet responded to Barrette's latest statement by Thursday evening.

Earlier in the day, both Paradis and PQ health critic Diane Lamarrehad called on the health minister to extend the transition period and to show more flexibility.

Up until last week, Quebecpaid for three full IVF attempts. During the consultation stage for Bill 20, the PQ fought to persuadethe government to continue to fund one cycle of IVF, as Ontario now does.

"The situations we see most often since Nov.10are totally chaotic, improvised and show a lack of respect for couples," saidLamarreat a joint news conference with her CAQ counterpart earlier Thursday.