In the hunt for the perfect support tools to offer employees, has your organization explored the power of fertility benefits? Healthcare support is often a leading factor in an employee’s decision to stay with their employer, and one facet that is often ignored is the substantial impact that IVF insurance or other forms of fertility assistance can have on employee morale and retention.
Reproductive legislation has been a controversial point of debate across the last year and a half, but keeping the personal preferences of individuals out of the mix, there has also been a growing push to advance state and federal fertility mandates to assist citizens in their desire to build a family. IVF insurance and fertility coverage laws are increasingly being discussed by states as a way to advance benefits for residents, particularly those undergoing medical treatment that could have an adverse effect on reproductive capabilities.
In 2025, the current administration released Executive Order 14216, Expanding Access to In Vitro Fertilization, as a way to open up discussions on how employers may be better able to offer fertility-related benefits to their workforce. The idea was to allow it to become a standalone benefit exempted from the other complex criteria that come into consideration when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and similar laws are grouped together. The comment period for the provision closed earlier this month, and while there hasn’t been an update on its application, it shows that there are ongoing conversations about advancing fertility benefits, both with and outside of the support provided in the workplace.
As discussion proceeds on federal and state IVF insurance mandates, employers have no reason to wait to explore fertility benefits internally. (Image: Pexels)
Why Fertility Benefits Are a Unique but Revered Employee Resource
While not as common or popular as other benefits in the workplace, fertility benefits are a unique driver of employee retention as they address a facet of employees’ personal goals and ambitions outside of their careers. For the most part, employers have been labelled as anti-family, as an employee’s desire to grow a family often implies more time away from work and an increase in their obligations to their personal lives rather than a full commitment to the employer. It is this very idea that makes employers who offer IVF insurance or access to fertility benefits stand out, as it suggests a genuine commitment to the employee beyond their role as a number on their payroll.
Unfortunately, offering fertility benefits such as access to diagnostics, fertility medication, in vitro fertilization cycles, and other similar aids is not quite as easy at work, and often gets lost amidst the prioritization of other healthcare benefits as a whole. Certain insurers may be willing to provide add-on requests via employers in cases where such benefits might be handy, but it is important for employers to work with such insurers when planning benefits in the workplace.
Organizations such as RESOLVE have attempted to expand access to better healthcare coverage within employment, but there is more work to be done towards alerting employers to the idea of providing such benefits and planning out how to make it possible.
State IVF Insurance Mandates and Other Advancements in Fertility Benefits are Paving the Way
To their credit, many states have actively begun to explore legislation to require insurers to cover fertility benefits and IVF insurance as part of their offerings and expand on the access individuals have to such resources. RESOLVE’s State of IVF Access in America: 2026 Legislative Wrap-Up report took a closer look at some of these efforts and found that there were 181 fertility-related bills identified across 39 states in the 2026 legislative session. Of the policies that emerged at the center of these discussions, topics of insurance coverage, embryo regulation, clinic oversight, surrogacy, and fertility preservation took center stage.
The report noted that states like Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Texas, and Virginia are expected to play central roles in how the conversation around fertility policy takes shape in the 2027 legislative session, as they have already begun work on policy changes. Virginia, for example, has moved to require its essential health benefits benchmark plan to integrate diagnosis and IVF coverage starting in 2028, but it is still pending approval.
Arizona and Hawaii have also pushed forward bills on expanding coverage for those undergoing medically necessary procedures or treatment. MultiState notes that 25 states and Washington, D.C., have state-assisted reproductive technology laws requiring private insurance coverage, although the extent of coverage and the eligibility considerations vary widely. This makes it harder to gain clarity on policy and the provisions mandated by local laws.
Legislators Face Many Challenges, but This Does Not Have to Limit Employers in Benefits Planning
On a federal scale, the recent introduction of the Right to IVF Act of 2026 has brokered discussions on nationwide access to assisted reproductive technology, although its enforcement is only a distant possibility for now. Despite these discussions, there has been resistance to such legislation, curtailing just how far the states can go in their desire to expand on IVF insurance mandates and fertility benefits for all. This, however, does not prevent employers from advancing their own support towards encouragement and comments on fertility coverage laws, or working with their insurance providers to negotiate expanded access for their workforce.
Many companies are leading the conversation on fertility and reproductive healthcare and benefits for their workforce. UK’s Monzo Bank is known for its progressive approach to employee benefits, including its partnership with Fertifa to expand on educational resources for workers, as well as its flexible leave plans for employees dealing with pregnancy loss or fertility treatments. Similarly, Tesla’s partnership with Kindbody allows employees to access end-to-end fertility services, with financial assistance for aspects like IVF, IUI, and preservation or alternative routes like surrogacy and adoption.
Spotify is well-known for its lenient remote work policy for its employees, but its benefits plans also include unlimited fertility treatment and 6 months of paid parental leave, which is hard to come by at any other organization. Companies like Google, Intel, and other prominent names have expanded on their own fertility benefits and resources, regardless of any IVF insurance mandates or other advancements made by legislation. As we wait to see how future regulations evolve in this regard, employers are free to explore how they can expand support for their workforce in areas where they need it most.
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