Why some companies are offering surrogacy service for their employees

1. 🩺 Why do employees seek help from employers with childbirth issues?
2. 🤰 Why do employers reimburse their employees for reproductive technology costs?
3. ⭐ 5 reasons why employers benefit from fertility allowances

In this regard, many people choose to work with these employers, feeling their support and protection in difficult times.

Reproductive services at Feskov Human Reproduction Group aim to ensure that any person from any corner of the globe can exercise their human right to have a healthy child.

Why do employees seek help from employers with childbirth issues?

Providing help to overcome infertility can be a game-changer for employers. According to research, many women would change jobs to receive higher fertility benefits:

• 64% with earnings less than $ 50,000 per year;
• 67% who receive $ 75,000 - $ 100,000 a year;
• 52% who earn more than $ 150,000 a year.

Some of them, applying for a new job, do not even hide their true goals and intentions. After all, not every family can afford even one IVF cycle, which costs from 12,000 to 24,000 dollars, not to mention surrogacy.

The famous company Starbucks offers its employees, who work full or part-time, but at least 20 hours per week, an updated benefit package. The maximum lifetime allowance for infertility under health insurance is $ 25,000 - $ 30,000. And $ 10,000 in compensation for related activities and prescription drugs.

And this experience is becoming more common as childbirth benefits have undergone a revolution in the past few years. While some companies have covered services such as IVF as part of their health insurance plans for years, numerous employers are offering new fertility benefits to their employees. Such as compensation for surrogacy, egg freezing, as well as the expansion of existing privileges.

According to the data, nearly 9 out of 10 employers, or 87%, cover some kind of infertility costs through their health insurance plan. From this group:

• 71% offer IVF;
• 69% - intrauterine insemination;
• 34% compensate for the freezing of oocytes and embryos.

Of them:

• 84% cover medical examinations by various specialists, clinical analyzes, tests;
• 81% - medicines to treat the cause of the disease;
• 45% offer surrogacy benefits.

Many insurance companies are expanding their range of fertility treatment compensation offers. For example, Liberty Mutual has expanded its coverage of fertility benefits from $ 30,000 to $ 45,000 canceled the mandatory requirement - getting a diagnosis of infertility. The company also launched a new surrogacy benefit, giving employees $ 20,000 for a service, but no more than $ 40,000 over a lifetime. Plus, the insurance company has expanded its adoption assistance program.

Why do employers reimburse their employees for reproductive technology costs?

Employers take a fairly holistic approach to the opportunities they offer their employees. They strive to ensure that as employee needs evolve, benefit plans evolve.

While employers choose to invest and expand these benefits for a variety of reasons, recruiting and retaining employees is the key. These benefits are more common in millennials and younger generations. Research shows that fertility benefits are very important to them in terms of who they actually choose as an employer. And in terms of keeping millennials working.

Also, employers offer fertility benefits for health reasons. Companies that provide workers with access to high-quality health care can help prevent a variety of unpleasant health consequences. For example, multiple births and other more serious complications. Thus, employers are becoming more progressive in the provision of benefits.

In addition, there are a number of serious service providers on the market who can help structure these benefits thoughtfully. Moreover, now employers have a wide range of companies ready to help structure fertility benefits. Since this market is also becoming more competitive.

Similar firms cooperate with large companies such as PayPal, Microsoft and Facebook. They work directly with employers' health plans to structure benefits. They also have Patient Care Coordinators who can help staff throughout the challenging journey. They believe that being able to provide employees with fertility benefits gives employers a sense of pride and belonging. This is really a guide to creating a complete family.

Approximate amounts of benefits:

• minimum - $ 5,000;
• maximum - $ 75,000;
• average - $ 20,000 - $ 23,800.

Experts say that creating a benefit program that helps minimize the cost of IVF and other reproductive manipulation requires combining financial incentives with clinical and emotional support. Thus, a larger percentage of those in need of treatment will receive it.

For example, for Cadence Design Systems, a software company based in Silicon Valley, has been providing birth and fertility benefits to help maintain a edge in such firms. Fertility benefits, along with the rest of the company's benefit package, help maintain employee engagement and retention. Plus, Silicon Valley tends to be the first to take advantage of such interesting progressive benefits.

But not all benefits are created equal. Employers need to think critically about how they structure their pay so as not to exclude some workers.

So, in some companies, such benefits apply only to married couples. And if an unmarried woman decides to freeze her eggs, then she is forced to pay in full out of her pocket. But times are changing and plans are being revised. And already during the second procedure, in addition to financial assistance, she will also receive emotional support. Therefore, the absence of stress will have a positive effect on both manipulation and the state of the employee. Since the coordinators answer all questions and tell all the nuances that many people do not even know.

The well-known payment company PayPal provides access to medical and emotional support, as part of the grant, since 2018. During this time, more than 200 people have used the service. In addition, the corporation offers surrogacy benefits and adoption assistance to support workers from a wide variety of families and backgrounds. According to management, they strive to support everyone - regardless of sexual orientation, gender, medical status and health status.

It really comes down to their core values as an employer. They really strive to provide offers in benefits and reward packages that are relevant to all types of families.

In addition, the number of companies providing fertility treatment services for same-sex couples is increasing. After all, the search for a surrogate for such a family is equivalent to a second job. This is a drain on the couple's time and money. Communicating with fertility clinics, lawyers and agencies, as well as the cost of services, is all very tedious and costly. The entire process can take years. And the employer's flexibility in such matters will not only provide financial, but also emotional support to people.

5 reasons why employers benefit from fertility allowances

Based on the above, we can summarize and highlight the main reasons why employers should offer sponsored fertility benefits to employees:

1. Attracting new qualified employees looking for the most attractive jobs not only in terms of wages, working conditions, but also in terms of financial and emotional benefits provided.
2. Retaining experienced and loyal workers who are even willing to change jobs in order to receive increased benefits for childbirth and fertility treatment. Maintaining loyalty to company policy, good feelings and gratitude for all kinds of help is the most reliable incentive to try for the good of the common cause.
3. Health. Access to high quality medical services keeps employees healthy. It also helps prevent serious complications during medical procedures. That has a positive effect on the performance and stress resistance of the staff. This in turn leads to increased profits and company success.
4. Maintaining competitiveness in the market, thanks to the progressive trends among similar companies. Since, many firms are not limited to providing fertility benefits and fertility treatment only to married couples. An employee of any status and orientation has the right to create a family and help in this matter.
5. A sense of pride that they help create complete families. Feeling needed and useful to their employees.

Time and progress do not stand still. Very soon, compensation benefits not only for the birth of a child, but also for the treatment of infertility, will become an objective reality for all employers and employees. Which will make the relationship between them even more trusting and full of gratitude.

Feskov Human Reproduction Group will support families from all over the world on this challenging yet inspiring path to parenting happiness. We work with health insurance policies that will allow patients to reimburse some of the costs of medicines, examinations and manipulations upon arrival in their home country.

Authors, contributors:

Olga Cherdak
Lawyer on Reproductive Rights and Policies in the Reproductive Area

published: 05 March 2021
updated   : 03 March 2023

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