Advantages of Providing Family Forming Benefits to Employees

Taking steps to start a family is different for everyone. Some may need fertility support and family forming benefits for themselves or their partner, while others may consider surrogacy or adoption to grow their family. Either way, one thing is for sure: cost can be a huge factor.

Independence Blue Cross (IBX) along with Carrot Fertility (Carrot) now offers inclusive fertility health and family-forming benefits to all IBX associates and their eligible spouses/domestic partners.

Why Offering Fertility Benefits Is So Important

There is a growing need for companies to offer family forming benefits to their employees.

In the U.S., one in eight heterosexual couples deals with infertility. Some people who want to start a family also may have to consider their options for adoption or conception. They may need resources like donor assisted reproduction or surrogacy services, and support from legal professionals and social workers.

To put the cost into perspective, in vitro fertilization (IVF) alone can be anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000. Adopting a baby can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $45,000, depending on the use of public, independent, or private agencies.

Some members of the LGBTQIA+ community are faced with the financial and emotional costs of both fertility services and adoption because of existing laws that can vary from state to state. Single women and people of color also experience more obstacles to fertility treatment and care thanks to a significant wage gap and persisting systemic inequities.

Benefits Offered to IBX Employees

IBX recognizes the importance of offering family forming benefits. It helps give employees peace of mind in an uncertain situation. It gives them access to care, no matter their gender, race, economic status, or sexual orientation.

IBX provides funds to help our employees fulfill their dreams of creating a family by providing a lifetime family benefit of $10,000 towards their family forming journey.

Benefits can be used for:

Preservation (egg, sperm, and embryo)
Assisted reproduction (e.g., IVF)
Gestational surrogacy
Donor assistance
Pregnancy
Adoption
Menopause/low testosterone (low T)

Fertility Support, Every Step of the Way

Through Carrot, IBX employees will receive step-by-step guides personalized for their unique needs. They have access to unlimited, free virtual visits with fertility health and family forming experts to navigate their options, costs, and questions. They can also tap into a library of expertly produced educational resources, including articles and how-to videos. And through Carrot’s telehealth platform, employees can take fertility health and wellness tests and get an ovulation tracking bracelet.

Additional Resources

IBX employees may also use Carrot’s network of 950+ clinics and 3,350+ attorneys and agencies nationwide, where they will receive exclusive discounts and expedited appointments. They also have access to the Carrot Card, a flexible, pre-funded card for eligible services without paying out of pocket, and Carrot Rx, a pharmacy that offers significant savings on fertility medications with easy online ordering and delivery.

Benefits for Overall Well-being

In addition to fertility benefits, IBX also offers a Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA) to help employees focus on their well-being and encourage work-life balance. Employees receive $500 total each year, to use in the area of their life they need it most.

Offering employees access to fertility and adoption services can help promote greater employee satisfaction and retention and can make a workplace more attractive for prospective employees. IBX looks for opportunities to collaborate with companies like Carrot to help make providing these employee benefits easier.