As infertility rates rise, India Inc rolls out family-planning benefits
Companies like Google, Accenture, Diageo, Myntra, IKEA, and L’Oréal are including fertility treatments like IVF under insurance, offering emotional support through employee assistance programmes, organising seminars to drive awareness on infertility and available support systems. Egg and sperm freezing, too, are being added to medical insurance programmes for employees looking to delay their parenthood journey for career or personal reasons.
India has a population of as many as 27.5 million infertile people, including men and women, according to the Indian Society of Assisted Reproduction.
However, organisations are stepping up to drive the change.
In November last year, Google India expanded its family building benefits in India, increasing reimbursements for expenses related to fertility treatments — including options like fertility preservation, IUI, and IVF.
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“The programme also includes guidance on identifying high-quality fertility treatment options and connecting with mental health professionals specialising in these areas,” said a company spokesperson. Employees are given access to a dedicated ‘care advocate’ who serves as a central point of contact and helps them find the right providers and clinics.
Accenture has also introduced coverage for fertility and surrogacy treatment as part of its corporate medical insurance programme to support employees looking to embrace parenthood. It has introduced egg and sperm freezing to its medical insurance benefits as well. Myntra covers egg retrieval and freezing under its insurance plan, empowering its female employees to embrace motherhood on their own terms.
Infertility is a significant issue that affects many individuals and couples worldwide, and