How fertility health and hormonal health benefits bolster your benefits package

Many options are available to help you build a robust benefits package. While you are choosing coverage, one of the most important things to understand is what will satisfy the needs of your current employees and attract top talent to your company. Ancillary benefits that extend beyond standard health care coverage top the list—specifically fertility health and hormonal health benefits. These are some of the most sought-after benefits that you can offer alongside other ancillary options like vision, dental, and hearing health care. That’s because fertility health benefits and hormonal health benefits meet employees where they are with their reproductive health needs.

Why hormonal health benefits are important

Employees of all ages and at all stages of their lives make up the U.S. workforce. While people of all ages can have different reproductive health needs, there is a fair amount of overlap in fertility and hormonal health needs for people in their 40s and 50s.

Consider that a 2023 National Health Statistics report indicates the reproductive age for people is up until age 49.¹ Contrast that information against National Institute on Aging data stating that the menopausal transition most often begins between ages 45 and 55.² Men in these age ranges also have hormonal health needs around low testosterone. While these data points are diverse, they collectively illustrate a constant many people have in common across age ranges—having their needs around reproductive health met with insight and expertise.

Ben Pasker, Vice President of Enterprise Customer Success at Carrot, further explains why the case to support the demand for hormonal health benefits is so compelling. “More women and men in your company than you might think are experiencing hormone fluctuations. Some 20 percent of women in the workforce are going through some phase of menopause, while another 40 percent of men over age 45 have low testosterone,” he said.

Whether it is low testosterone or menopause, the changes that people are going through can be very difficult for them—and, in turn, their employers. “Productivity can dip for employees who don’t have hormonal health care to help them manage the physical and emotional symptoms that come with these changes, which can contribute to other downstream impacts over time like employee turnover and early retirement. All these scenarios add up to higher costs for employers when they don’t have to,” said Mr. Pasker. He added, “Specialized hormonal health support from a company like Carrot can come with lower costs for employees and more efficient care. Our research has shown that Carrot supports employee retention, as 95 percent of our members say that they will stay at their employer because they offer Carrot.”

Consider Carrot for age-inclusive benefits

UPMC Health Plan works with Carrot to help employers offer comprehensive, inclusive benefits across the reproductive health spectrum—including those to support fertility health, family-building, and hormone health—that are accessible and affordable. Carrot is well-equipped to provide members and their families with expertly guided support through these and other reproductive health and family-building issues:

Perimenopause and menopause
Low testosterone
Infant care and parenting (ages 0-12)
Pregnancy and postpartum
Fertility health and wellness (e.g., hormone testing, trying to get pregnant)
Preservation (egg, embryo, or sperm freezing)
Assisted reproduction, such as IVF and IUI
Adoption
Donor assistance and gestational surrogacy

What’s more, employers that choose to offer Carrot will give their employees access to:

Unlimited virtual visits with fertility health and family-building experts to navigate options, costs, and questions.
Employer-sponsored funds for fertility and family-building services.
Exclusive partnerships and discounts, as well as expert-authored educational videos, articles, and more.

UPMC Health Plan can support your whole workforce

As one of the nation's fastest-growing health plans, we know what it takes to thrive in a competitive marketplace: healthy employees with the benefits they need to support all areas of their lives.

Because healthier employees are less likely to call in sick or use vacation time due to illness, supportive health benefits can prevent absenteeism and presenteeism—which can help companies operate more successfully.³It’s important to remember that employees may need different types of support to reach this goal, depending on their situation.

If you have employees focused on building a family, there are many reasons why family-building benefits are an asset to your benefit package. One of the main reasons is talent acquisition. Carrot’s research has shown that 65 percent of employees are willing to change jobs for fertility benefits. On the other hand, you might have other employees who need support for significant life changes related to hormonal health and could benefit from specialized resources like hormonal health benefits. That is why we partner with Carrot and pair it with offerings that support employees at every stage of their reproductive health needs by offering access to:

UPMC Health Plan maternity health coaches who provide support, education, and resources to help increase the chances of having a healthy pregnancy, a healthy baby, and a healthy postpartum recovery.
Virtual care available 24/7, including behavioral health tools and programs to support maternal mental health.
Top-ranked doctors and hospitals, including UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital.

¹Martinez GM, Daniels K. Fertility of men and women aged 15–49 in the United States: National Survey of Family Growth, 2015–2019. National Health Statistics Reports; no 179. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2023. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:122080.

²National Institute on Aging. What is menopause? Reviewed Oct. 16, 2024. Accessed Jan. 28, 2025. nia.nih.gov/health/menopause/what-menopause

³Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC workplace health model. July 15, 2024. Accessed Jan. 28, 2025. cdc.gov/workplace-health-promotion/php/model/index.html

Support your employees by offering fertility and hormonal health benefits

Support your employees by offering fertility and
hormonal health benefits