Amid rising healthcare costs and anxiety around reproductive care access, employers plan to increase access to preconception and fertility support.
So found Maven Clinic in its fourth-annual State of Women’s and Family Health Benefits report. The survey reached more than 1,560 HR leaders and 3,750 full-time employees across the U.S., U.K. and India.
A third of employees ranked support for family building as their most important benefit. More than a quarter of employees pursuing fertility care went into debt to cover healthcare costs, the survey found. Other top priorities included mental health, childcare, maternity and caregiver support.
Part of what is driving up costs is inflation, as well as higher-risk pregnancies, executives said. A growing number of states also mandate coverage of fertility treatments. “In general, fertility is one of the areas that has tailwinds right now in terms of bipartisan support to continue to grow the industry,” Kate Ryder, founder and CEO of Maven, told Fierce Healthcare.
At the same time, employers are feeling the heat. The vast majority, 93%, reported being concerned about the rising cost of fertility care. To help combat this, nearly two-thirds are planning to add preconception care in the next year.
Preconception care involves trying alternative options like tracking ovulation, for those who are the right candidate, before going through the costly and demanding IVF process, Ryder noted. More than half of these employers also plan to enhance or add fertility care and support in the next year.
“You need to actually show the double-bottom line benefit,” Ryder said. Not only does having a fertility benefit drive talent attraction and retention, but it can also drive down costs. The company conducts claims analyses for its clients to demonstrate the cost savings for patients who get pregnant using Maven.
“At the end of the day, it’s not only real dollar savings,” Ryder said, “but really it’s about value. No one wants to get ripped off.”
When it comes to U.S. employees, nearly half who are expecting or considering having a baby are more worried about their reproductive health since the presidential election. And about half want their employers to advocate for continued access to these services and expand the benefits they offer.
“When you put restrictions on access to care in certain parts of women's health, that drives greater anxiety to all parts,” Ryder said. Confusion and concerns about access abound, even where they may not exist—such as in blue states. Expecting parents may not understand the protections afforded to them. “People just don’t have that level of sophistication, if you don’t work in the industry, and so there’s just a lot more questions than there ever have been.”
In response to this anxiety, the survey found nearly half of U.S. employers are considering expanding their fertility coverage. This is not about taking a political stance, according to Ryder, but about ensuring equitable access to high-quality care in all 50 states.
“When Roe v. Wade was overturned, people were asking for support with reproductive health travel benefits and employers were doing a lot there and continue to have those benefits in place,” Ryder noted. Employers can support employees who need to travel to another state for high-quality care and be mindful of where they host work retreats so pregnant people feel safe attending.
Parental burnout is widespread, the survey found: 92% of parents feel burnt out from trying to balance work and parenting duties. Though eight in 10 parents want their employer to do more to support them, the same amount says their company does not offer any parental support. At these companies, a quarter of employees take extended leave or career breaks and 41% are considering a new job for better benefits.
Over the past several years, Maven has seen more large employers launching its parenting product. “There is a renewed focus on just supporting working parents in the workforce as a competitive benefit,” Ryder said. “There is a lot of focus on Gen Z and millennials right now, because they're making up most of the workforce.” Parent support is at the top of their list of needs.
Employers recognize these benefits as critical, with 69% planning to increase their parental support offerings in the next two to three years. Organizations that support parents well let their employees change their hours to better meet their needs, shift to a hybrid role and generally see employees return to work after parental leave, per the survey.
Employers are also responding to men’s reproductive health needs. Half of all cases of infertility involve men. The survey found 84% of men feel their reproductive health needs are not met. Nearly half of employers admitted their current offerings provide average or poor support for men, but 65% are increasing coverage for reproductive health counseling and wellness services.