UPDATED June 2013 to include information about tax deductions.

Costs for IVF and fertility treatments are rather complicated to explain and depend on your individual circumstances. We will explain the cost structure during your first free consultation, so that you have a good idea of what will be involved. Feel free to call us on (07) 5478 2482.

The precise cost to you depends on many factors outside of our control, like your private health fund and whether you are eligible for the Medicare Safety Net. Our fees do change from time to time, so please check if there is a time gap between when you first see us and when you start your treatment to make sure that they have not changed.

Basic IVF Costs

Here are the basics. We endeavour to keep our information as correct as possible but we are unable to take responsibility for the accuracy of any charges that are outside of the control of the clinic itself.

• Fertility Solutions will be billing you for some of the total. This covers the cost of your sessions with your fertility nurse specialist, some of your medications, your blood tests and ultra sound scans, and the laboratory costs associated with your cycle. There are additional fees for some medications, special laboratory procedures, and ongoing fees to keep any sperm or embryos frozen. We ask that you pay your estimated out of pocket costs before treatment commences.
• Your fertility specialist will be billing you as well. This covers the cost of them performing your egg pick up and embryo transfer procedure. If your specialist has not yet given you a quote for this, please contact their office.
• The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital will bill your private health fund for your stay in hospital during your egg pick up. If you have an excess on your policy you will need to pay this amount. If you do not have private health insurance then you will have to pay the full amount to The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital prior to your egg pick up.
• The anaesthetic specialist who is involved in your egg pick up procedure will bill you directly for his or her fees. The anaesthetist will usually bill you 4 – 6 weeks after your procedure.

Medicare Rebates For IVF Treatment

Medicare provides a rebate on any fees charged by your fertility specialist or anaesthetist, and for some (but not all) of the fees charged by Fertility Solutions.

There is no Medicare rebate at all for the hospital’s charges. Private Health Funds make contributions towards the cost of any charges relating to your hospital stay – the hospital fees, and the fees of your specialist and anaesthetist. Depending on your type of cover, they also often contribute towards the cost of any additional medications not available on prescription. Private Health Funds vary substantially in terms of how much they pay, so it is always strongly recommended that your check with your fund.

Cancellation Fees

If things do not go according to plan and your cycle is cancelled part of the way through, there is still a charge for your care up to that stage, which varies depending on your circumstances. If this happens, please contact our accounts department to find out what this means for your situation.

Medicare Safety Net

Once you have had a number of medical expenses of any kind, you may be eligible for a larger Medicare refund, known as the Medicare Safety Net. The threshold that you must reach to be eligible varies according to your taxable income, and applies to any medical expenses incurred by anyone who is on the same Medicare card.

Before you start treatment we suggest that you make sure you are registered with Medicare for the Medicare Safety Net, and find out what your threshold is to be eligible, and how close to reaching it you already are.

Tax Deductions

(Updated June 2013)

As you may be aware your fertility expenses will be partly covered by your Medicare Safety Net and your Private Hospital Insurance. The remaining out-of-pocket cost can be used as your tax deduction.

Basically, if your family medical expenses exceed $2,000, you may be able to claim ~20% of the excess as a tax offset. That is, you can claim a tax offset of ~20% – 20 cents in the dollar of your net medical expenses over $2,000. There is no upper limit on the amount you can claim. For example, if your medical expenses for the financial year are $4,000. The excess is therefore $2,000. Your 20% tax offset is therefore $400.

The medical expenses must be for:

• You
• Your spouse – married or de facto – regardless of their income
• Your children who were aged under 21 years, including adopted and stepchildren, regardless of their income
• Any other child aged under 21 years – not a student – whom you maintain and whose separate net income (SNI) was less than $1,786 for the first child and less than $1,410 for the second child and any subsequent children
• A student aged under 25 years whom you maintained and whose SNI was less than $1,786
• A child-housekeeper, but only if you can claim a tax offset for them, or
• An invalid relative, parent or spouse’s parent, but only if you can claim a dependant tax offset

You and your dependents must be Australian residents for tax purposes but you can claim medical expenses paid while travelling overseas. You may also be able to include the medical expenses of certain dependants who are waiting to migrate to Australia.

What receipts can you collect?

Medical expense receipts which qualify for the tax offset also include payments to/for:

• Dentists, orthodontists registered dental mechanics
• Opticians or optometrists, including for the cost of prescription spectacles or contact lenses
• A carer who looks after a person who is blind or permanently confined to a bed or wheelchair
• Therapeutic treatment under the direction of a doctor
• Medical aids prescribed by a doctor for artificial limbs or eyes and hearing aids
• Maintaining a properly trained dog for guiding or assisting people with a disability (but not for social therapy)
• Laser eye surgery, and
• Treatment under an in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) program

To maximise your taxation rebates, all fertility treatments must be completed by 30th June each financial year. After this time, a new financial year commences.

Should you wish to receive further advice in regards to claiming your fertility costs in your tax return, please contact your accountant. The Australian Tax Office website is also a good resource.

For further clarification, please call the accounts department at Fertility Solutions Accounts on 07 5478 2482 or contact your accountant.