Eligibility for the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Storage Funding Program

The ART Storage Funding Program helps with the cost of cryostorage for people who have cancer or are at risk of passing on a genetic condition. Find out if you and the cryostorage services you need are eligible for this program.

Eligible patients

You are eligible for the ART Storage Funding Program if you need to:

  • freeze eggs, sperm or embryos (cryostorage) because you have a cancer diagnosis and the cancer treatment will affect your fertility
  • freeze embryos (cryostorage) because you are at risk of passing on genetic conditions and have had pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) through Medicare.

You must also hold a valid Medicare card and consent to your ART clinic sharing your relevant personal information with us and Services Australia. This is to facilitate your participation in the program, as in Section 5 of the program guidelines.

For embryo cryostorage, only one member of the reproductive couple needs to meet eligibility requirements.

You are not eligible if you:

  • access other Commonwealth, state or territory funded cryostorage services
  • have opted to undergo PGT but are not a known carrier of a genetic disorder.

Cancer diagnosis

You must have evidence of a cancer (malignant neoplasm) diagnosis at the time of cryostorage. This program excludes cancer-like conditions such as:

  • benign tumours
  • other medical conditions that require gonadotoxic treatment.

Pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT)

Medicare funds PGT for people who know they carry a serious genetic disorder and are therefore at risk of having affected children.

The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items for PGT are:

  • 13207
  • 73384
  • 73385
  • 73386
  • 73387.

You are eligible if you have received Medicare benefits for one of these MBS items. 

Find out more about PGT through Medicare.

Eligible cryostorage services

A cryostorage service is eligible if:

You can receive funding for up to 2 types of material (eggs, sperm or embryos).

A cryostorage service is not eligible if:

  • the clinic has charged out-of-pocket costs for it
  • it is for embryos that have had pre-implantation genetic testing, but the patient did not receive a relevant Medicare rebate
  • the eggs, sperm or embryos started cryostorage before 1 July 2023
  • it is for gonadal tissue or any other material aside from eggs, sperm or embryos.

If you die

Embryos in storage

If you die with one or more embryos in storage and your reproductive partner (the person who created the embryo with you) is still alive:

  • they will become eligible for this program
  • the clinic will need to lodge claims under their Medicare number
  • funding will continue in their name, as a new patient
  • the 10-year limit will renew under their name.

Sperm or eggs in storage

Eligibility and funding will cease at the end of the month of death if:

  • you die with sperm or eggs in storage
  • there are no legal arrangements in place to transfer ownership to another person.

If there are legal arrangements to transfer ownership of embryos, sperm or eggs

If you die with embryos, sperm or eggs in storage, payments will continue until the transfer of ownership to another person, for a grace period of up to 2 years.

If the original 10-year limit that applied to you is reached within that grace period, the payments will only continue up to that date.

Eligibility and funding under this program will then cease.

Date last updated:

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