Alec Salloum
Regina Leader-Post
If the Saskatchewan Party forms government again, leader Scott Moe says he will make it easier for people to get fertility treatments as well as cervical cancer testing.
Speaking in Regina on Monday morning, Moe said his party would introduce a refundable tax credit to help cover the cost of a first fertility treatment.
A Saskatoon-based clinic lists prices for in vitro fertilization (IVF) that range from $8,000 to $15,000. Sometimes more than one cycle of IVF is required, according to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, and Moe said treatment can often run in the $15,000 to $20,000 range.
“This is just simply trying to support not just families but individuals across Saskatchewan as they are making decisions, and often this is part of those decisions as to how they can grow their families,” said Moe, adding that the tax credit came about after discussions with various people in the ministry of health.
Asked how this would benefit those who can’t afford to pay up front before getting reimbursed later, Moe said “the tax credit will be available for anyone that does make this choice, and I would say that it’s much more than we had before.”
Moe was joined for Monday’s announcement by Sask. Party candidates Laura Ross and Sarah Wright.
Speaking after the news conference, NDP candidate for Regina Elphinstone-Centre Meara Conway said the promises sounded quite familiar.
“On the IVF front, obviously this is something the NDP (has) been calling for, for years,” noted Conway.
She said the NDP has heard from families that’ve had to remortgage their homes or take second jobs to pay for the treatment, plus others who simply can’t afford it.
“It’s disappointing that the Sask. Party has not taken action on this sooner. (Moe) acknowledged today that we’ve stood up and asked for this over 50 times,” continued Conway. “It’s the worst kind of politician that sits idle while in government and does nothing and then when campaign time rolls around they make announcements.”
NDP candidate Aleana Young also responded to Moe’s announcements in a social media post on Monday.
“Would have been decent for Moe to show some leadership when his cabinet and backbench would heckle during stories of miscarriage and fertility struggles,” she wrote.
Young rose 56 times during the 29th legislature to present a petition calling on the government to “immediately move to cover the financial burden of two rounds of IVF treatment for Saskatchewan people experiencing infertility,” according to Hansard (a verbatim report of debates that take place in the legislative assembly).
In addition to coverage for IVF, the Sask. Party also announced a plan to expand access to self-screening kits for cervical cancer. This would be achieved by allowing women aged 25 to 69 to have the tests mailed out to them to screen for the human papillomavirus infection (HPV).
Moe said he hopes this will “provide for earlier treatment, which are far less invasive treatments, so those that are receiving treatment will have more successful outcomes.”
