Starting a family with my husband did not come as easily as we thought it would. After being diagnosed with “unexplained infertility,” we set off on a journey we didn’t expect.
When you’re going through IVF treatment, you have the highest of highs followed by the lowest of lows. You expect to pay a certain amount for IVF, do a cycle, and have a child—but it’s not that simple. No one talks about the roadblocks along the way.
It’s a sobering thought that so many couples will never have the opportunity to experience pregnancy because of financial barriers. Among heterosexual American women aged 15 to 49 years with no prior births, about 1 in 5 can’t get pregnant after one year of trying (infertility), according to the CDC. And about 1 in 4 women in this group have trouble getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term (impaired fecundity). Add in the high cost of infertility treatment, pile on the emotional and physical toll of the process, and becoming a parent is no longer a reality for everyone.
When trying for our first baby, my husband Rob and I went through several rounds of IVF, paying mostly out of pocket each time. Our bills were piling up and yet we felt no closer to having a child. We thought IVF would feel more like a sprint, and we’d be parents in no time, but it turned into a marathon. Our emotions crashed after my 5th failed IVF protocol. A lot of guilt set in around the volume of money we had spent with nothing to show for it. Infertility is stressful enough before even incorporating the financial stress.
The road had been long, but Rob and I were not ready to give up. Knowing our case was difficult, we decided to seek a very well-known doctor in another state to get a new perspective on how to treat our infertility. We are thankful to say we found success in our 6th cycle and welcomed a beautiful baby girl into this world in January of 2019.
After our first child was born, we wanted to try for a second baby but were concerned about traveling down that path again. How many IVF cycles would it take? Could we afford to return to the out-of-state clinic that found us success, or do we find a different local clinic?
Here’s How My Employer Helped with Fertility Costs—And Yours Can Too
I have always been very open about my infertility journey in the hopes that others will find comfort and solace in knowing they are not alone. It’s a sensitive topic that not everyone wants to share—especially with their employer.
Since I shared my struggles with infertility with my manager at work, this topic became top of mind for our HR team and inspired discussions around offering employer-sponsored fertility coverage at Delta Dental for employees that want to grow their families.
I was overjoyed to find out that Delta Dental decided to provide fertility coverage through Progyny, which provides employers with fertility benefits and access to treatment coverage, guidance, and fertility specialists. I remember looking across the room at my director with tears in my eyes and smiling at each other. With this benefit, we would be able to provide support to all of our employees who struggle with fertility issues and help them on their path of growing their families.
I knew this was an option I would be able to use to continue fighting to expand our family and save on the costs of IVF treatments. With our first pregnancy, we sought a very well-known doctor out of state for our final IVF cycle which led us to our first baby girl. That doctor came with a higher price tag, requiring more tests and travel costs. When we tried for our second child, we knew we wanted to return to the place where we had found success the first time around. An employer-sponsored fertility benefit made this a reality for us yet again, especially since it allowed us to save over 60 percent on treatment costs.
The fact that my employer invested in this benefit makes me feel like they invested in me. I felt supported in my infertility journey and knew I could be honest and open about it. With an increased focus on diversity, inclusion, and gender equity, it’s no surprise that more companies are seeing the value of providing family-friendly benefits for parents.
Why Employers Should Offer Fertility Benefits
My career in recruiting and talent acquisition has allowed me to see the value a company can gain from listening to their employees and providing total reward packages that cater to their life stages.
The landscape for recruiting has changed in the past several years. As more women are leaving the workforce because of the pandemic, the need to support them in the workplace is on the rise—and unique offerings are the way to bring them back. By offering family-building benefits, such as IVF coverage and egg freezing, a company shows its commitment to supporting a diverse and inclusive workforce longing to start a family.
The demand for an employer-sponsored fertility benefit is out there, and companies have a lot to gain from it. More than 32 percent of employees indicated that they would stay with a company longer if they were offered fertility coverage, according to FertilityIQ. While 9 out of 10 employees who experience fertility issues said they would switch jobs for a company that offers a fertility benefit.
What may have once felt like a taboo topic in the workplace is now becoming top of mind for HR leaders. The good news is that many companies are reimagining their unique offerings as recruiting has become very competitive during “The Great Resignation.” The FertilityIQ Workplace Index noted that companies offering family-building benefits rose by 8 percent last year.
Simply put, the value of adding fertility coverage as part of a comprehensive healthcare offering far outweighs the upfront costs of providing the benefit itself—and it helps a group that oftentimes goes unrecognized in the workplace.
Continuing Open and Honest Conversations Around Infertility
For hopeful parents that are on the IVF journey, an employer that breaks the stigma of infertility and supports them is just another champion in their corner as they go through the arduous and daunting IVF process.
I hope this conversation continues and more companies bring on this important and forward-thinking offering. I would encourage anyone to have an open and honest conversation with HR about this option and see if there is an opportunity for their company to get ahead of the curve and provide fertility benefits—you just might find out that they already do!
We took a gamble going through IVF time after time, but we played long enough, and we won. We have a beautiful, healthy toddler and our second miracle baby was born eight months ago—both were worth every shot, tear, and treatment.
We had to play with finances to make it work and prioritize what was important to us. However, not everyone is able to become parents because the finances are just too great. Being part of a company that provides such amazing fertility coverage is beyond words. They helped us cut costs when trying for baby #2 and allowed us to stress less about finances and focus more on becoming pregnant.
In March of 2020, I joined The Stork Foundation to continue helping families on their journey to parenthood. In our first year of operation, we were able to award three grants, giving hope to three couples in their fight for parenthood. Fertility treatments are not guaranteed, but the ability to give hope and opportunity to those suffering from infertility and fighting for their dream of parenthood is a cause I am thankful to be a part of. After everything I have gone through during my IVF journey, my next chapter is the fight for others.
It’s important to remember we are not alone in this battle and the more we talk about it, the more we ignite conversations around infertility and affect meaningful change. We are in the driver’s seat and can finally feel free to have these open discussions about family in the workplace.
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