The federal coalition would be fiscally irresponsible to block plans to cap payments for IVF treatment because it would blow a $450 million hole in the budget, Labor says.
The opposition, Independent senator Nick Xenophon and Family First's Steve Fielding believe the federal government's proposed changes to the Medicare safety net is akin to taxing potential parents.
They vowed on Wednesday to delay a vote in the upper house until the government tables regulations outlining exactly who'll pay what under the new scheme.
But Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the opposition previously promised to pass the new re-imbursement schedule.
"The opposition has today indicated they are backing away from this commitment and in doing so they have displayed complete disregard for fiscal responsibility," she said in a statement.
"The changes to the extended Medicare safety net measure have been designed to cap doctors' fees where there is clear evidence they are excessive."
However, opposition health spokesman Peter Dutton says Ms Roxon previously guaranteed that patients seeing specialists who charge $6,000 or less for IVF would not be worse off.
"We've received some information that the (health) department itself has serious question marks about the assumptions the government's made," Mr Dutton told reporters at a joint press conference with Senators Xenophon and Fielding.
"If the government can stand by its guarantee that patients won't be worse off under these changes, then release the detail and we can have a proper chat about it."
The government says that from January next year once a patient reaches the Medicare safety net threshold of $1,112 in out-of-pocket medical fees, or $556 for those on low incomes, safety net payments will be capped.
The IVF lobby group, Access Australia, says that could mean out of pocket expenses rise from $1,000 to $3,000 per IVF treatment.
Senator Xenophon says the government is potentially pricing people out of becoming parents.
"We'll have a situation where there's IVF for the rich and infertility for everyone else," he said.
"That's why it's very important, particularly in relation to the IVF changes, that they not go through."
Senator Fielding says capping re-imbursements is actually a tax on mums.
"The government needs to say they've got it wrong and change it," he told reporters
"This will give the government time to look at what they're doing and change their position in regards to IVF."
Mr Dutton wouldn't say whether the opposition would vote against the draft laws if the government didn't play ball and table the regulations.
But the Australian Greens were less reticent on that issue, announcing they'd vote against the change no matter what.
"While the Greens understand the intent of the proposed changes is to reduce the costs to the public purse, we are not convinced that the government's approach will be effective," health spokeswoman Rachel Siewert said in a statement.
"(Labor's) legislation is a half-way house - it only addresses part of the problem and will introduce another set of inequities."
Senator Siewert said the extended safety net advantaged those who could afford to pay upfront fees, and encouraged specialists to raise their prices.
Changes to the safety net will not only affect people seeking IVF treatment.
It also targets the treatment of varicose veins, hair transplants, obstetrics and cataract surgery.
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