How PEOs can help smaller to mid-sized employers navigate fertility benefits

Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) are hearing more questions from their smaller to mid-sized employer clients about fertility and family building support. At the same time, the legislative landscape continues to evolve, with states taking different approaches to fertility coverage, fertility preservation, eligibility, nondiscrimination, and access to treatment. Requirements vary by state and may also depend on how coverage is funded and structured, adding another layer of complexity for employers evaluating their options.

For smaller to mid-sized employers, those questions can quickly become more practical: What does the current medical plan cover? Do state requirements apply? How are fertility medications handled? And what kind of cost predictability can the employer expect?

That gives PEOs an important role in helping employers understand their options and evaluate what will work best for their workforce.

What should PEOs consider when evaluating fertility benefits?

Start by understanding what the employer is trying to solve.

They may be looking to introduce fertility coverage for the first time, strengthen an existing offering, support talent attraction and retention, or give employees more help navigating a complex care journey.

For smaller to mid-sized employers, the financial model can also be an important consideration. Understanding how coverage is funded, how risk is structured, and how predictable costs will be can help narrow the options that make sense for the organization.

How do fertility mandates affect PEOs and smaller to mid-sized employers?

State fertility requirements are one part of the benefits decision, and applicability can vary based on the state and how coverage is funded and structured. Employers should work with qualified legal and benefits advisers to understand what applies to their specific plan.

For PEOs, the broader opportunity is helping employers understand where compliance fits into a larger benefits strategy rather than treating it as the only consideration.

What should employers look for beyond IVF coverage?

When employers evaluate fertility benefits, the conversation often starts with whether in vitro fertilization (IVF) is covered. But a useful evaluation goes further.

Employers should consider how members will find high-quality providers, what support is available throughout treatment, how fertility medications are coordinated with medical care, and whether the benefit supports different paths to family building.

Those details can shape both the member experience and how effectively the benefit works in practice.

Evaluate the whole experience, not individual benefit components

Cost, care, and member support are closely connected.

Provider quality, treatment patterns, pharmacy coordination, utilization, benefit design, and funding can all influence how well a fertility benefit works for both the employer and the member. Employers should understand not only what care is covered, but also how the model manages financial variability and whether it provides the level of predictability they need.

A specialized fertility benefit can bring those elements together in a more connected way, which can be especially valuable for smaller organizations that may not have dedicated internal resources focused on fertility benefits.

Why does member support matter in fertility care?

Fertility care can involve testing, medications, treatment decisions, benefits questions, and personal considerations at the same time, making knowledgeable guidance an important part of the experience. Employers should look at whether members can get help understanding their benefits, finding appropriate care, navigating authorizations, and coordinating medications.

For smaller to mid-sized organizations that may not have dedicated internal resources focused on fertility benefits, having that support built into the experience can be especially valuable.

A fertility benefits option designed for smaller to mid-sized employers

Progyny Select is a premium-funded benefit created for PEOs with 100+ medically enrolled employees across smaller to mid-sized employer clients with large group health plans. It was built to offer greater cost predictability while connecting members to specialized fertility care and support.

Progyny Select brings together fertility treatment and medication coverage, access to specialized providers, and one-on-one support through pivotal life moments, including fertility, adoption, surrogacy, pregnancy and postpartum, parenting, and menopause. It is administered outside of the employer’s medical plan, with Progyny taking on the financial risk associated with utilization and service mix under a fixed-premium model.

For PEOs, working with a specialized fertility benefits partner can make it easier to bring that expertise to smaller employers without requiring those organizations to build that capability internally. Progyny Select gives PEOs another option to consider when employers want fertility and family building support but need an approach designed with smaller to mid-sized organizations in mind.

Frequently asked questions

This content is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice.

Progyny Select must be presented alongside major medical based on its licensure and additional participation criteria established by Progyny Select. Individuals selling Progyny Select need to be licensed in the State of Washington. The benefit is implemented with an effective date that aligns with employers’ major medical coverage. However, there is no medical plan integration or variation by medical carrier. When groups add Progyny Select, all employees/members who are 12 years and older, and enrolled in medical will be automatically enrolled in Progyny Select.

Progyny Select Supplemental insurance plans are insured by Progyny Health Insurance Company of Washington. All limited insurance policies contain exclusions and limitations. For full details on coverage please refer to your specific plan documents, application, and certificate of coverage. Progyny Health Insurance Company of Washington is located at 1in Tacoma, WA 98402.

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