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Mercer teams with specialty firm to provide fertility benefits

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Mercer teams with specialty firm to provide fertility benefits

Mercer L.L.C. on Thursday announced a partnership with fertility health care provider Progyny Inc. to offer fertility benefits to employers and their employees.

Benefits consultant Mercer claims the fertility benefits offered through the partnership can help companies reduce costs related to the neonatal intensive care unit and other high-risk maternity-related expenses by increasing access and better outcomes, according to a company statement.

New York-based Progyny's SMART suite of fertility benefits — which stands for Science and Member-Driven Assisted Reproductive Technology — includes egg freezing, in-vitro fertilization treatment, non-IVF fertility treatments, and fertility medications, Mercer said in the statement.

The benefits also include access to personal concierge services, a national network of fertility clinics, genetic counselors, fertility nurses, psychologists and surrogacy counselors, according to the statement. Access to a patient portal with information on fertility is also provided.

According to a Mercer spokesman, services including IVF treatment, counseling and concierge support services are core offerings, while egg freezing and fertility medications are optional. Employers can pay all or some of the cost of the benefit, or simply offer access, the spokesman said.

At least 60% of large employers with 500 or more employees offer some type of fertility benefit to their employees, according to Mercer's 2015 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans published in November.

Fifty-four percent of employers provide an evaluation by an infertility specialist or reproductive endocrinologist — the most common service offered, according to the survey. About a third provide drug therapy, while 24% provide benefits for IVF treatment and 5% offer egg freezing, the survey found.

Forty percent of employers do not offer infertility services, according to Mercer.

“Fertility benefits are becoming a key topic for employers and employees alike,” Dr. David Kaplan, San Francisco-based leader of Mercer Health Innovation LABS, said in the statement. “This interest is not only being driven by talent and retention-related issues, but also by the high cost for employers who, whether they offer infertility benefits or not, are still incurring much of the NICU and associated high-risk maternity-related expenses.”

“We're proud that Progyny has developed a fertility benefit that includes the latest fertility technology to greatly improve pregnancy success,” Karin Ajmani, president of health care services at Progyny, said in the statement. “With one in six women in the U.S. struggling with infertility, we know these demands will continue to grow, and our benefit design coupled with support services takes the guess work out of this emotional and often costly journey.”

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