November 11, 2022

The Family Benefits Bundle

Employers can play a key role in retaining and supporting the well-being of employees with parenting and caregiving responsibilities, and bringing those who left the workforce back, by offering needed, inclusive benefits that support the diverse experiences of employees and their families.

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There are many paths to parenthood, and each comes with unique challenges. Offering inclusive benefits that support the variety of ways employees choose to form and grow their families is a critical step toward health equity. This section shares best practices and opportunities in employer-sponsored birth parent/maternity benefits and benefits for fertility, adoption and foster care.

Birth Parent/Maternity Benefits: Preconception to Postpartum Care

Benefits that promote healthy pregnancies and deliveries decrease risks associated with preterm births and low birth weight, mitigate complications for birth parents and reduce claims costs. According to Business Group on Health’s 2022 Large Employers’ Health Care Strategy and Plan Design Survey, high-risk maternity/NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) is a top condition driving health care costs and trend, with 17% of employers indicating it is one of the top three conditions driving costs at their company. Moreover, respondents to Ovia Health’s The Future of Family Friendly Benefits said digital prenatal and parenting classes (64%), high-risk pregnancy care management (60%) and pregnancy loss leave (48%) were important benefits to employees.

Table 2.1: Benefits for Prenatal Care, Delivery and Postpartum Care

Sources: 2021 Family Benefits Quick Survey, 2022 Large Employers’ Health Care Strategy and Plan Design Survey, 12th Annual Employer-Sponsored Health & Well-being Survey, 2021 Large Employers’ Leave Strategy and Transformation Survey, 2020 Large Employers’ Leave Strategy and Transformation Survey, 2020 Supporting Employees with School-Aged Children During the Pandemic Quick Survey, 2018 Parental Benefits, Supports & Perks Quick Survey, 2023 Large Employers' Health Care Strategy and Plan Design Survey

Ending Disparities in Maternal Health and Mortality

Like other disparities, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated maternal health inequities. A 2021 Ovia Health study found that more women, especially BIPOC mothers, experienced postnatal depression during the pandemic than pre-pandemic. BIPOC mothers had a 10% increase in severe symptoms of depression and a 26% increase in reports of suicidal ideation, compared to only a 10% increase in moderate symptoms of depression and no change in suicidal ideation for White women.¹ Investing in benefits to alleviate the pressures expecting and new parents are experiencing during the pandemic and beyond can address these distressing findings, positively impact employee well-being and support health equity.

Even before the pandemic, appalling racial and ethnic disparities in maternal mortality existed in the U.S. In 2019, the maternal mortality rate for Black people was 3.5 times higher than for White people and 2.5 times higher than for Hispanic people.² To understand disparities in maternal (or carrier) mortality, why they exist and what employers can do to be part of the solution, review the Business Group’s Ending Disparities in Maternal Mortality.

Fertility, Adoption and Foster Care Benefits

Fertility, adoption and foster care benefits are essential for many families, including LGBTQ+ couples and single individuals who are ready to start or grow their family, as well as the 50 million couples across the globe who experience infertility. Unfortunately, significant disparities exist in access to fertility care across race, ethnicity, income level, sexual orientation, gender identity, insurance plan and state of residence.³

Large employers are leading the way in eliminating existing issues. In 2021, nearly 800 large companies introduced or improved their family-building benefits, including fertility treatments.⁴ And, a large majority (79%) of large employers offer some form of adoption and/or foster care benefit. While only 2% of American adults adopt or foster children, there’s a ripple effect for many other employees who do not use these benefits but see them as a sign of a caring company culture.⁵

Table 2.2: Benefits for Fertility, Adoption and Foster Care

Sources: 2021 Family Benefits Quick Survey, 2022 Large Employers’ Health Care Strategy and Plan Design Survey, 12th Annual Employer-Sponsored Health & Well-being Survey, 2020 Large Employers’ Leave Strategy and Transformation Survey, 2020 Supporting Employees with School-Aged Children During the Pandemic Quick Survey, 2023 Large Employers' Health Care Strategy and Plan Design Survey

Fertility Care: The Impact on Well-being, Equity and Work

Global Reproductive Justice and Access to Fertility Care

Access to safe, affordable and effective fertility care is fundamental to reproductive health. Unfortunately, even in countries where fertility treatments are legal and culturally accepted, many individuals are unable to access services.

Australia: Fertility treatment is partially subsidized with public funding. Nonetheless, couples pay a significant amount toward treatment. In fact, when the costs to couples went up in 2010, the number of in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles went down by nearly 25% across all socioeconomic groups.⁶

Brazil: Overall, fertility treatment in Brazil is accepted, accessible and affordable. Success rates of treatments are comparable with the best in the world while costs tends to be more affordable than in the U.S. and western Europe.⁷

Britain: While infertile women under 40 can get three cycles of IVF through the National Health Service, local clinical commissioning groups can set standards, such as stricter rules on ages, weight requirements and having no children from previous relationships. These standards limit and create differences in access within the country.⁶

China: While Beijing wants women to have more babies, they’re not making it easy. Currently, eggfreezing and IVF are not available to “single women and couples who aren’t in line with the nation’s population and family planning regulations;” conversely, China allows single men to freeze their sperm. A small number of wealthy women who have the means can travel outside the country to freeze their eggs. In fact, about one third of a Hong Kong egg-freezing clinic’s clients come from China.⁸

France: In 2021, France passed legislation that, for the first time, gave lesbian couples and single women access to fertility treatment. France’s health care system will cover the cost of fertility procedures for all women under 43.⁹

Russia: While Russia does not allow fertility treatments for same-sex couples, in all other regards it’s considered to have liberal laws on reproductive rights (e.g., no age limits, open to single and unmarried couples, legal surrogacy). In fact, fertility treatment is part of the country’s strategy to boost population figures, and Russia hopes to reach 90,000 state-financed IVF procedures per year in 2024.¹⁰

Singapore: As of January 2020, the cap on the number of IVF cycles and age limits for IVF in Singapore were removed. However, IVF is still only available to married couples.¹¹ To minimize the financial burden, couples in Singapore may withdraw from Medisave for the first ($6,000), second ($5,000) and third ($4,000) treatment cycles. The lifetime Medisave withdrawal limit per patient is $15,000 for assisted conception procedures.¹²

Sub-Saharan Africa: Fewer than one-third of countries have an IVF clinic.⁶ The lack of access can have devastating impacts. Women who can't have children may be subject to isolation and can suffer economically.

United States: 40% of women of reproductive age have limited or no access to nearby fertility treatments.⁶ Furthermore, the cost of fertility treatment, which is often paid out-of-pocket, makes it out of reach for many people. In the U.S., the average cost of IVF is $10,000-$15,000, intrauterine insemination is $500 to $4,000, egg freezing is $8,000 to $10,000 and surrogacy is $75,000 or more.¹³

Employer Recommendations for Designing and Administering Fertility and Adoption Benefits

• 1 | Reassess eligibility determinations for fertility treatments and adoption benefits to reflect the diverse needs of their workforce.
• 2 | Ensure that all programs include appropriate benefits that focus on supporting mental health needs of employees experiencing changes in family status, including screening for post-partum depression.
• 3 | Steer employees toward high-quality providers who follow evidence-based protocols and deliver superior clinical outcomes. Also, suggest that employees discuss with their health plans the availability of new programs and value-based payment models, such as maternity bundles and any other programs that emphasize quality in maternal health and fertility benefits.
• 4 | Ensure that there are adequate connections between fertility benefits, maternity programs and other supplemental services and supports for new parents.
• 5 | Educate employees about available fertility, adoption and foster care benefits and programs, including related leaves. Provide clear, concise information about fertility benefits, use employee scenarios to illustrate coverage options and consider a targeted approach by tailoring communications to different cohorts.
• 6 | Encourage third-party vendors to use available claim and demographic data to engage those who may be planning or starting a pregnancy in choosing a quality provider and enrolling them in applicable programs offered. While communicating to or engaging with employees on sensitive issues related to the reproductive health, vendors should emphasize confidentiality of such services.
• 7 | Educate supervisors regarding appropriate support and creating a supportive culture in the workplace for parents experiencing family change, especially in less common situations, such as interracial adoption, pregnancy difficulties and return to work for parents of children requiring special care.

To better understand infertility and its the impact on employers and treatments, review the Business Group’s Evidence-Based Fertility Treatments.

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