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Young Couple Discussing Finances

Discussions about fertility benefits are increasingly on the rise. For some organizations, it’s because states are passing legislation for mandatory insurance coverage for infertility treatments, such as the Colorado Building Families Act. For others, it’s because fertility benefits are an excellent way to meet diversity, equality and inclusion goals and to retain top talent. Regardless of the reason for this sudden interest, we’re happy to see a new focus on fertility benefits for employees. And if your organization is interested in exploring fertility benefits, the ASRM-supported 2021 Survey on Fertility Benefits has promising data on how fertility benefits impact an organization’s bottom line.

As a follow-up to the National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans — which reviewed the types of infertility treatments covered under most medical plans — the 2021 survey was released to collect more detailed information about fertility benefits. The results were extremely positive and concluded that:

  • Adding infertility coverage did not result in a significant increase in medical plan costs for 97% of respondents.
  • 32% of small employers (those with 50-499 employees) cover some type of infertility service, compared with 61% of large employers.
  • Over the last five years we’re beginning to see expansion in the services covered, particularly IVF.
  • Among all large employers, the prevalence of IVF coverage has risen from 19% in 2005 to 27% in 2020.
  • For small employers, IVF coverage increased from 11% to 14%.
  • Among jumbo employers, with 20,000 or more employees, coverage for IVF has risen from 30% to 42%.
  • Jumbo employers are also ahead in providing coverage for elective egg freezing, with the number of organizations offering this service up 13% from five years earlier.

Although fertility benefit legislation is changing, employers are still seeing immense organizational benefits, regardless of state laws. For example, the top three reasons for covering infertility treatments include:

  • To ensure employees have access to quality, cost-effective care;
  • To stay competitive to recruit and retain top talent; and
  • To be recognized as a “family-friendly” employer.

In addition, 40% of respondents offer coverage to “support diversity, inclusion and equity (DEI) efforts.” This shows that, above and beyond state-mandated fertility care, employers are starting to recognize the importance of fertility benefits for their organizations and for their employees.

ARC Fertility, a specialty vendor, prides itself on being able to offer cost-effective solutions to help employers meet their fertility benefit goals. With 12% of respondents using specialty vendors, some of the benefits to using specialty vendors include:

  • More flexibility in the administration of the benefit compared to traditional medical carriers;
  • Enhanced coaching/member services; and
  • Better guidance in navigating members to high quality resources, which ultimately improves outcomes.

For employees, there are obvious advantages to receiving fertility benefits. Luckily, employers are also beginning to understand that offering fertility benefits is advantageous to them as well. Fertility benefits can help to reduce healthcare costs and turnover rates, and they can create a competitive advantage for organizations — all without significantly increasing medical plan costs. As supporters of equal access to fertility benefits, we’re proud to see this positive trend from employers and hope to see momentum for fertility benefits continue in the future.

The time has come for employers to start offering benefits that match their goals for inclusivity in the workplace. If you’re looking for a trusted partner and vendor in high-quality fertility benefits, contact us today.

People photo created by wayhomestudio – www.freepik.com

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