Embargoed for 7:30 ET 4/16
Women's health and fertility company Progyny has unveiled a new fully-insured benefit option that it says will make it easier for small- and mid-size employers to offer fertility coverage to their workers.
Called Progyny Select, it offers a comprehensive, end-to-end patient experience when employees choose to embark on a fertility journey, while making it easier for employers to track and manage cost and outcomes. The plan uses a fixed premium model with predictable per-member-per-month pricing, according to an announcement first provided to Fierce Healthcare.
Melissa Cummings, chief operating officer for Progyny, told Fierce in an interview that employers with between 100 and 1,000 employees have lacked options for fertility benefits compared to larger firms. But providing options around family planning is becoming a strategic imperative as they look to recruit and retain high-quality workers.
An offering like Progyny's, she said, can help even the playing field in talent acquisition for these smaller companies, while ensuring broader access to fertility services for those who need or want them.
"The real philosophy and principle behind it is this idea that the size of the company for whom you work shouldn't dictate your access to fertility benefits," Cummings said.
The program is also built to avoid being a lesser version of what Progyny makes available to larger companies, she said. Patients who enroll will be able to access comprehensive coverage for any avenue to parenthood they choose, including in vitro fertilization and intrauterine insemination, as well as key services like genetic testing.
They will also be linked to a care advocate who provides "concierge" support, such as coaching throughout pregnancy, postpartum, child-rearing and into menopause. The care advocates can also support families that pursue adoption or surrogacy to have a child, according to the announcement.
Cummings said that a solution like this is attractive to employers beyond the potential recruitment benefits. Providing consistent support throughout conception, pregnancy and delivery helps ensure that workers are able to return healthy and productive and that they have healthier babies, she said.
Maternity costs are also a growing area of focus for employers, and Progyny's decade of experience helps the team identify and work with high-quality providers that can ensure outcomes at a manageable cost. In addition, having the infrastructure in place to support the path to parenthood before an employee even begins working to conceive can ensure they avoid potential negative outcomes.
For example, Progyny's team can work with employees pre-conception to ensure they quit smoking or avoid drinking alcohol, which can cause complications down the line, Cummings said.
"Because we have such a relationship with our network ... we know their ability to take someone through a journey in the best way possible," she said.
As it looks to market this new product, Progyny is working closely with general agents who can connect employers seeking such a benefit. By connecting early on with these agents, Cummings said, they're brought to the table in a way that supports the program's design.
Because they're plugged into employers' needs, agents were able to validate the demand for something like Progyny Select while also identifying potential missing pieces in the approach. This meant they were "bought in from the start," Cummings said.
"We had these partners at the table with us helping sort of co-create and co-design," she said.