IVF updates: What employers need to know

ALABAMA RULING: Just over a week ago, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law, leaving the future of in vitro fertilization coverage more uncertain than ever before.?Not only are current patients and medical providers in the state grappling with the immediate fallout, employers and providers are now forced to contemplate whether continuing IVF coverage is worth the potential legal backlash.?

"There is nothing that will ultimately get in the way of someone who wants to try to have a child," says Janet Choi, MD, MSCP , board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and chief medical officer at Progyny, Inc. "It's just unfortunate that this ruling has created inappropriate, unnecessary and dangerous barriers to patients who really just need the right medical care."

Dr. Choi shares how employers can prepare and protect their fertility benefits from legal snags: What Alabama's IVF ruling will mean for employees seeking fertility care

EXPANDED PARTNERSHIP: AT&T recently announced they're extending their partnership with family benefits platform Maven Clinic to offer all employees, regardless of title or tenure, access to fertility and family building benefits. AT&T's 125,000 employees will have access to Maven's virtual guidance and education around egg freezing, IVF, adoption and surrogacy, as well as care advocates who can guide employees to fertility specialists and additional treatment when needed.?Beyond the early stages of family building, Maven will continue to provide maternity and postpartum services.

"We want to make sure that we meet each and every one of our employees where they are, regardless of their needs, and regardless of their journey to building their family," says Matt Phillips, AVP of benefits at AT&T. "Whatever that employee need is, that's the gap that we want to fill."

Read more about the partnership and how AT&T is putting parents first: AT&T and Maven expand fertility benefits to support 125,000 employees

A RECRUITING TOOL: Recent studies show that more than half of employees expect their employer to cover family-planning services. In fact, 88% would consider leaving their jobs to access fertility benefits. Employers are noticing, and the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) has seen steady growth in coverage for fertility benefits.

If you're considering adding coverage for fertility benefits, you might be surprised that companies can offer these benefits with little additional cost to medical plans. Including fertility and family-forming benefits may even reduce healthcare costs.

Here's how to implement family-friendly benefits to recruit and retain your staff: How fertility benefits can help your company stand out in the race for talent