Publicly Funded Treatment
If you have been trying to conceive for at least twelve months, your GP will be able to refer you for a consultation with a fertility specialist (First Specialist Assessment) in the same way that if your GP had identified a medical condition.
There are two stages to public funding:
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a publicly funded consultation (First Specialist Assessment - FSA)
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and publicly funded treatment.
At your publicly funded consultation, you will be scored (out of 100) for publicly funded treatment using the fertility Clinical Priority Assessment Criteria (CPAC) system. You need to score 65 or higher to qualify for funded treatment.
You can have a private consultation to access public treatment. This is useful for those who want to be assessed sooner than the public wait time of 3-4 months.
Once you qualify, you will go on the waitlist for public treatment.
Eligibility for you GP to refer you
Your GP can refer you for a specialist consultation (First Specialist Assessment - FSA) if you meet the criteria:
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A woman must be 39 years or younger at the time of referral.
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New Zealand resident(s) or work permit for at least two years (this applies to both couples, not just the woman). Proof of residency/citizenship/work visa must be provided before eligibility for treatment can be confirmed.
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One year of infertility or known severe cause
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Or, and indication for fertility preservation (e.g. prior to cancer treatment).
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BMI AUCKLAND/NORTHLAND: The woman's BMI is to be less than 35 at the FSA consult; however, she will need a BMI of less than 32 to start treatment. The man's BMI is to be less than 40.
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BMI Elsewhere in NZ - The woman's BMI is to be less than 32, and there is no requirement for a man for the FSA consult and treatment.
The referral requires information on both the patient requiring review and their partner (if applicable).