The labor movement has always been about economic security. It’s about ensuring that working people can build stable, meaningful lives for themselves and their families. For many union members today, that includes the ability to pursue parenthood without putting their financial future at risk.
As fertility care becomes more common, it’s also becoming more expensive. The path to parenthood increasingly requires medical support, and without meaningful coverage, the cost can be overwhelming. For unions committed to protecting members’ wages, benefits, and long-term financial well-being, fertility coverage is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s a critical part of supporting modern working families.
According to recent research, four in 10 adults have either used fertility treatments themselves or know someone who has. As people start families later in life and as more LGBTQ+ individuals and couples pursue parenthood, demand for fertility care continues to grow across industries and income levels. Yet access to care remains uneven. For many workers, the deciding factor is not medical need, but financial capacity.
For union members, that financial burden does not exist in isolation. It shows up as stress, delayed family building decisions, and difficult tradeoffs between starting a family and protecting long-term financial stability. Fertility care is increasingly a financial planning issue, one that can affect retirement savings, debt levels, and overall household resilience.
What Family Building Really Costs
Union members exploring their options are often surprised by how quickly the costs of building a family can add up. Whether through fertility treatment, surrogacy, or adoption, the financial requirements can be substantial. Traditional health plans frequently leave significant gaps in coverage.
Here’s what many families are facing:
- One round of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the U.S. typically costs over $20,000 — and most people need multiple cycles.
- Pre-pregnancy genetic testing can cost $1,000 to $2,000 per test.
- The cost of surrogacy or using a gestational carrier can exceed $150,000.
- Domestic adoption can range from $20,000 to $45,000.
For many union members, these expenses can rival or exceed an entire year’s wages. Without comprehensive family building benefits, the ability to pursue parenthood can become a financial decision rather than a personal one.
The Hidden Costs: Financial Strain and Workforce Impact
The dollar totals tell only part of the story. Financial strain often becomes emotional strain. Members may experience anxiety about affording treatment, pressure to move quickly, and fear of sacrificing long-term financial security to meet immediate needs.
These pressures translate into practical consequences. Some members take unpaid leave or reduce hours to attend medical appointments. Others dip into retirement accounts or education savings. Many carry debt that lingers long after treatment ends.
In bargaining terms, when members pay tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket for fertility care, employers and health plans are effectively shifting the cost of family building back onto wages and retirement security. That’s not just a personal hardship. It’s a workforce issue.
Financial stress affects productivity, focus, and retention. Workers who feel unsupported during major life events may reconsider long-term career plans. For unions that have fought to secure strong wages and retirement protections, allowing fertility and family building costs to erode those gains undermines hard-won progress.
Why Comprehensive Coverage Matters and Why Labor Should Lead
Comprehensive fertility and family building coverage does more than pay for medical treatment. It protects household financial stability and helps keep experienced workers on the job.
When benefits cover IVF, adoption, or surrogacy alongside preconception and mental health support, members can make decisions based on what is best for their families, not solely on what they can afford up front. They’re less likely to withdraw retirement savings, accumulate long-term debt, or delay care in ways that increase medical risk and future costs.
For unions, this translates into clear bargaining priorities:
- Fertility-specific coverage with defined limits and transparent processes
- Integration of mental health support with reproductive care
- Leave and scheduling protections that reflect the multi-step nature of family building
Strong family building benefits reinforce what unions have always stood for: protecting wages, preserving retirement security, and ensuring working families can plan for the future with confidence.
Economic security today includes the ability to build a family without jeopardizing financial stability. By leading on comprehensive fertility coverage, unions can continue to uphold that promise for the next generation of working families.
Bring union-backed benefits to your workforce and start building stronger union families. Get in touch with Progyny’s Labor Team here.
Stacey Hofert is Group Vice President of Labor for Progyny. She started her career as a union steel worker, which gave rise to a passion for bargained populations that has driven her into leadership in the Taft-Hartley market for 20 years with a specialization in working with Health and Welfare funds. She has worked in various capacities, including cost containment, third party administration, and managed infertility benefits. Today, Stacey works with plans to incorporate quality infertility benefits and to educate the market and trustees on why these benefits are so meaningful – and impactful – for their membership. Stacey has an B.S. from Western Illinois University in Human Resource Management and an M.B.A. from Kellar Graduate School of Management.
