Communicating with Your Employer

SEPTEMBER 4, 2020

With only thirteen states requiring insurance companies to cover infertility treatment, securing fertility benefits through your health insurance company is a hot topic. So where do you start in advocating for fertility benefits and coverage for infertility treatments? And how often do insurance companies agree to add the coverage?

In today’s episode, Eloise talks with Davina Fankhauser, a former fertility patient and the co-founder of the national non-profit Fertility Within Reach, which works to increase access to health benefits for fertility treatment and preservation.

 - How did Davina become an advocate in the world of infertility?

- Which 13 states mandate IVF and fertility health insurance coverage?

 - If someone wants to approach their employer about adding insurance benefits for fertility treatments to the company insurance plan, what are the most important points to make?

 - Many people make the assumption that if their insurance plan doesn’t include fertility benefits, there is nothing they can do… but that’s not always the case. Learn how often insurance companies agree to cover infertility treatments.

- Are insurance companies becoming more agreeable as the rate of infertility grows and the need for non-traditional family-building methods such as egg donation and surrogacy becomes more commonplace?

 - Davina walks us through the process of petitioning an insurance plan to cover fertility treatments. Listen here. 

Progyny’s Amanda Lesesne and Erin Hennessey break down how you can ask your employer for fertility coverage, what questions you should ask, and how to keep the conversation moving forward in a discussion with Beat Infertility.  Watch here.

At one point or another, most of us struggling with infertility will need to address the impact on our work. The sheer number of doctor or clinic visits alone is nearly a full-time job. Testing. Procedures. Monitoring. Not to mention the hormones, the emotional roller coaster, and the self-injections.

As much as we probably want to maintain our privacy and keep a healthy separation between our work and personal lives, the intensity of infertility treatments can make that a very difficult divide to maintain (if not impossible).

Before you sit down and spill your guts to your boss, there are a few things worth considering that can make the conversation easier, and help you reach an outcome that will support you as much as possible right now. Read more.

If you have not had success in advocating with your insurance plan or employer, or have yet to try, Fertility Within Reach can help.  It's 20-page Policy Makers Guide is a trusted and often-quoted source for advocates, insurers, employers, clinicians and legislators.  

Davina Fankhauser, who has successfully advocated for and spearheaded state fertility legislation for fertility rights, coverage and preservation, explains how to communicate with your employer regarding enlisting their help in your family building.  Be sure to consult other resources, YouTube videos and podcasts for more information. Learn more.

Please take a moment and read this quote from TruGreen.  One employee spoke up about her struggles with infertility and the company was so receptive to her request of adding infertility coverage they decided to add adoption coverage as well. The power of one voice is strong. 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼 Imagine the voices of many...together! 🙌🏼We are so proud to say TruGreen is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee and they get it. They heard their employees and made improvements to their benefits to help meet their needs. These Family building benefits will help attract and retain good people. Also can you imagine the loyalty as well? Thank you for setting the standard.