6 Reasons to Offer a Comprehensive Family-Building Benefit

Helping All Employees Helps the Company, TooFamily-building benefits are becoming a necessity in the workplace.  More and more companies are offering at least some coverage for fertility treatment, while others include fertility preservation such as egg freezing and sperm freezing.  However, these programs are not always the best fit for all employees.  A truly comprehensive family-building benefit includes services for LBGTQIA+ and single employees, as well as heterosexual couples who need fertility treatment.Here are six advantages of a comprehensive family-building benefit for both employers and employees alike:

Infertility Does Not Discriminate

Fertility issues are not just a white woman’s problem, they can impact people of all races, sexual orientation, gender, age, religion, and marital status.  Several studies have found Black women are 1.5 times more likely to experience infertility than other races. As a woman gets older, fertility issues are more likely to occur, but it can strike in young women and men as well.  A comprehensive family-building benefit will support all your employees in their desire to have a family, no matter what their circumstances may be.

Everyone has a Unique Journey to Parenthood

Employees have a wide range of reasons to need help with building a family.  Single people can want to have a child.  Some single people want to preserve their fertility so they can have a child later in life.  Same-sex couples may need a sperm donor, egg donor, and/or surrogacy to have a biological child.  Medical issues such as cancer treatment may cause a person to need fertility preservation.  Both women and men may be infertile and need treatment.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, male factor infertility is identified along with a female factor in about 35 percent of infertile couples, while in eight percent only male factor is identified.  Some people will not pursue IVF for religious reasons but may still be open to adoption or fostering to build a family.  It’s important that a company’s family-building benefit encompasses the needs of all employees. WIN’s diverse provider network and Nurse Care Advocates possess the knowledge and expertise to provide personalized care and best meet all of your employees’ individual needs.

Supporting Employees Improves Productivity

Employees who are pursuing a nontraditional family-building journey are often stressed and distracted as they try to manage infertility treatment or navigate adoption on their own, which can demand a lot of time and money.  Employees dealing with these stressors are preoccupied and less productive at work, but supporting their efforts and helping them manage the process can improve productivity. The one-on-one emotional support and clinical guidance from WIN’s dedicated Nurse Care Advocates can provide employees with the tools they need, helping them feel empowered knowing they are not alone in making the best decisions for their specific journey to parenthood.

A Company That Cares

One of the strongest drives most humans feel is the urge to have a family, whether it is a biological family or a “chosen” family.  We all desire to bond with and care for other people.  A comprehensive family-building benefit that fits the needs of all your employees not only demonstrates support for diversity and inclusion, but it also sends a strong signal that your company truly values its employees and their desire to have a family. Both are strong incentives when it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent. In fact, according to a survey by FertilityIQ, 61% of employees who received fertility coverage from their employer reported feeling more loyal and committed to their employer as a result.

Supporting Financial Wellness

Employers concerned with the financial wellness of their employees should also consider how the cost of fertility treatments affects employees’ long-term finances when treatment options are not covered by a health plan. Because fertility treatments are expensive and may not succeed the first time, this can place additional financial stress on the employee. Given that the average U.S. household earns $51,000 in pre-tax income and the cost of IVF treatment, with multiple cycles, averages approximately $23,000 (including medication and consulting), fertility coverage makes a real and life changing difference for those who need treatment but could not otherwise afford it. Plus, WIN’s Nurse Care Advocates help employees navigate their options to determine the best course of treatment for their individual needs, helping them avoid unnecessary expenses, extend their benefit dollars, and better succeed in building their family.

Generating Cost Savings

Studies show that including a managed fertility benefit may result in long-term savings and better outcomes, compared with the short-term savings of offering no fertility benefits. Without these benefits, employers are responsible for medical costs related to high-risk maternity care (such as C-sections, pre-term births and NICU expenses) as well as covering long-term health care costs for conditions associated with premature birth and multiple gestations such as asthma, cerebral palsy, and developmental issues in preemies as they grow up. Research shows that an average NICU admission can have a 20-day length of stay and cost between $40,000 and $80,000, a cost the employers would certainly want to avoid. WIN’s clinical oversight can prevent these costs from the start by guiding employees toward the safest, most effective treatment to result in a healthy singleton pregnancy.WIN’s managed family-building solutions make it easy for your organization to seize the advantages of offering comprehensive and inclusive benefits such as fertility treatments like IUI and IVF, fertility preservation, egg freezing, genetic testing, and adoption and surrogacy. Providing these benefits will not only keep your employees engaged and loyal; they will also help your company remain competitive in the eyes of today’s top talent.Contact us to learn more about how WIN’s managed family-building benefits can reduce costs while improving outcomes for your employees.