Alberta Health Services (AHS) has confirmed it will reimburse some patients who are negatively impacted by higher fees at private fertility clinics.
“AHS is happy to announce that we’ll be able to offer some compensation and reimbursement for patients having to pay significant higher fees for a period of time if they’re eligible,” said Janie Clink, executive director of the Lois Hole Hospital for Women.
READ MORE: Alberta doctor says AHS cancelling fertility services is a ‘tragedy of all tragedies’
In November, the provincial government announced non-insured fertility services, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intrauterine insemination (IUI), would no longer be offered at the Lois Hole Hospital.
In Edmonton, patients who want to continue treatment have to transfer to the private fertility clinic, Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM).
After Feb. 28, non-insured fertility services will no longer be offered at the Lois Hole clinic.
Clink confirmed to Global News that the fees at the private clinic are higher than what people were paying at the Lois Hole and in response, AHS will cover the cost difference for one cycle of treatment completed before the end of September 2018.
“What that means is those patients will pay AHS fees if they have treatments complete before the end of September 2018 at a private clinic, if they were intending to receive care,” Clink said.
READ MORE: Edmonton’s Lois Hole Hospital for Women to stop offering IUI, IVF fertility services
Clink said in order to be eligible for a reimbursement, patients would have had to been seen at the Lois Hole after Nov. 1, 2016.
“Part of the reason that we would like to minimize any of the financial impact for patients is that we do recognize right now the fees are higher in the private clinics,” Clink said.
“We would like to support patients going through a relatively stressful time having to move clinics.”
Watch below: Over 100 people attended a rally at the Alberta legislature in November 2017 to call on the health minister to help bring back some fertility services at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
Marcelle Verster and her wife were hoping to have a third child through IVF when they learned the Lois Hois clinic would be ending services in February. The couple has two embryos at the Lois Hole and has to decide what to do with them.
“We had this urgency that we need to get something done before February,” Verster said. “I haven’t really slept. This has been a constant thing on my mind. If I’m not spending time at work or with my family, I’m thinking about it and I’m on the internet. I’m trying to look for resources and doing anything I can to communicate.”
Verster is concerned Edmonton’s single private clinic won’t be able to take on so many extra patients before the September deadline.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen to our fertility future here at all,” Verster said. “There’s no written letter. There’s no agreement. There’s no concrete evidence that some arrangement has been made for us to go to another clinic.
“We shouldn’t be dealing with this. Families in Alberta should not be feeling this way.”
“It has expanded its capacity to accommodate for the influx of patients from LHH (Lois Hole Hospital),” PCRM said in a statement. “We have hired three physicians since September in addition to extra laboratory staff and nursing staff. We feel very well-equipped to accommodate the people of Alberta as they need us. With the current waiting list times for consultation and treatment, it’s very reasonable to expect patients will be seen within one to four months. For treatment such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), we have the capability to minimize waiting. For example, patients who require IVF will get this treatment within one to two months. This is a much shorter waiting time than they would have experienced at LHH.”
Health Minister Sarah Hoffman also confirmed the reimbursement.
“Everyone who has already signed up for services will be able to receive those services at the rate they paid for, whether they’ll be provided there or at another clinic,” Hoffman said.
Clink said the fees at Lois Hole haven’t increased since 2015, but they were up for a review this spring.
“We typically try to keep our fees relatively in line with the private (clinics). About every two or three years we do a fee review.”
AHS will be working with patients on a case-by-case basis to identify whether they are eligible for reimbursement. Patients who have questions can contact the AHS transition team at 780-735-6654 or via email.
Price comparisons:
IUI: Lois Hole: $325 PCRM: $400
IVF: Lois Hole: $5,800 (no lab fee) PCRM: $7,000 (+ $1,000 lab fee)
ICSI + IVF: Lois Hole: $7,300 (no lab fee) PCRM: $8,500 (+ $1,000 lab fee)
Egg donation cycle + ICSI: Lois Hole: $8,300 (no lab fee) PCRM: $9,700 (+ $1,000 lab fee)
Sonohysterogram (ultrasound test): Lois Hole: $0 PCRM: $250
Comments