Why family-forming benefits are an asset to a benefits package

Many people in today’s workforce want to start a family, but doing so can be difficult. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 20 percent of married women in the U.S. with no prior births are unable to get pregnant after one year of trying.¹ The number of employees struggling to build a family increases when you factor in same-sex couples and individuals hoping to build a family without a partner. While fertility services can help, they can be expensive and out of reach for those who do not have family-forming benefits as part of their insurance coverage.

Couples and individuals often lack coverage for assisted reproductive technology (ART) or adoption services that support family formation. While ART can help many people build a family, only a little over 2 percent of infants born in the U.S. every year are conceived using the technology.² Cost is a major barrier. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that ART can range from $40,000 to $73,000.³ This is where family-forming benefits can make a meaningful difference. This employer‑provided support and coverage can help employees pursue parenthood, making ART and related services accessible to those who might otherwise be unable to afford them.

Why employers should invest in family-forming benefits

Family‑forming benefits provide meaningful advantages for employers, including:

Recruitment and retention

The desire to build a family is deeply personal and often influences career decisions. Employers that offer family‑forming benefits are better positioned to attract top talent and reduce turnover, leading to long-term workforce stability. Those that don’t offer such benefits risk losing valued employees to more competitive employers.

Employee engagement and job satisfaction

When employees feel supported during major life milestones, they are more likely to feel valued, engaged, and committed to their organization. Family‑forming benefits can boost morale, strengthen loyalty, and contribute to a more positive employee experience.

Workplace culture

Family-forming benefits show an employer's recognition of diverse paths to parenthood, including adoption, fertility treatments, and surrogacy. This can help foster a culture of equity, belonging, and respect for employees' unique needs.

Riley Steinmetz, vice president of marketing at Carrot Fertility, explains the extent to which a lack of fertility benefits can impact employers. “Our research has shown that 65 percent of employees are willing to change jobs for fertility benefits. That tells us that this benefit is critical for today’s workforce,” she said.

As great as the demand is for family-forming benefits, most states do not require insurers to cover fertility services. According to Ms. Steinmetz, despite the lack of coverage requirements, many employers choose plans that offer family-forming benefits. “Fertility benefits are integral to creating an inclusive company culture that keeps employees happy and satisfied while attracting new talent,” she said. “In fact, 75 percent consider fertility benefits at work to be an important part of an inclusive company culture.”

Steinmetz explains that offering these benefits can be a great investment for employers. “More than 60 percent of employers have said offering infertility coverage helped them attract and retain talent,” she said.

Steinmetz explains another reason fertility coverage is critical for employers: productivity. Because family-forming journeys—from fertility treatments to adoption—are logistically challenging, they can contribute to presenteeism and a dip in productivity. For example, treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF), one type of ART, can involve several treatment cycles, multiple provider visits, and weeks of time. “Building your family is an incredible and exciting journey, but it can also be complex and time consuming. Without the right support, navigating those financial and logistical obstacles can have a major impact on work performance,” she said.

Employers that offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes a fertility platform like Carrot can support women from pre-pregnancy to postpartum, including adoption and surrogacy, through return to work.

Introducing Carrot Fertility

UPMC Health Plan works with Carrot Fertility to help employers offer comprehensive fertility health and family-forming benefits that are accessible and affordable. As the leading global fertility care platform, Carrot advises members and their families through these and other family-forming measures:

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

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.

When employees feel healthy, they are less likely to call in sick or use vacation time due to illness, reducing both absenteeism and presenteeism and supporting a company’s operational performance.⁴ It’s important to remember that employees may need different types of support to reach this goal, depending on their situation. For employees who are focused on starting or raising a family, specialized resources may be required. That is why we partner with Carrot Fertility and pair it with offerings that support every aspect of a family-forming journey:

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

Attract and retain your workforce with family-forming benefits

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