GO6427: Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Storage Funding Program

The purpose of this grant opportunity is to support patients from two population groups who face extra costs associated with fertility preservation: people who require fertility treatment, including fertility preservation, due to a cancer diagnosis, and people at risk of passing on genetic conditions who have undergone pre-implantation genetic testing funded by the Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS), as described in MBS items 13207, 73384, 73385, 73386 or 73387.

Costs associated with the cryostorage of eggs, sperm or embryos are not currently subsidised through the Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) and these patient groups often face extra costs associated with fertility preservation.

The intended outcome of the program is to reduce eligible patient’s costs for preserving eggs, sperm, or embryos through cryostorage (freezing).

Under the program, patients will be eligible for up to ten years of cryostorage funding per eligible material stored.

To be eligible the applicant must be a legal entity (an ART Organisation) providing cryostorage services on behalf of eligible patients; each ART clinic claiming subsidies under a grant agreement must hold a current Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee (RTAC) licence.

A patient is eligible if they hold a valid Medicare card, seek cryostorage of eggs, sperm or embryos for fertility preservation due to a cancer diagnosis (malignant neoplasm) evidenced by medical documentation, or are at risk of passing on genetic conditions and have undergone pre-implantation genetic testing funded by the MBS (items 13207, 73384, 73385, 73386 or 73387), and consent to their ART clinic sharing relevant personal information with Services Australia and the Department.

Eligible cryostorage must have commenced on or after 2023-07-01.

Each eligible patient may access up to two cryostorage services of different material types and up to a maximum of ten years of subsidised cryostorage (not required to be continuous).

Applicants must not receive other government funding for the same purpose.