In 2025, fertility benefits are quickly moving from niche to necessity. As more employees delay parenthood or explore alternative paths to growing their families, employer-sponsored family-forming support has become a sought-after part of competitive benefits packages. For brokers, this shift presents a major opportunity to help clients meet evolving employee expectations while adding real value to benefits consulting services.
In this blog, we break down what brokers need to know about the rising demand for fertility-related benefits, how these benefits work, and how to guide clients through the process of evaluating and implementing them.
Why Are Fertility Benefits Gaining Popularity in 2025?
Millennial and Gen Z employees are now the dominant workforce demographic, and they’re reshaping what employers think of when curating benefits packages. Many are postponing family-building for career or financial reasons, while others are exploring new, nontraditional paths to parenthood. Fertility and family-forming benefits can help employers:
- Attract and retain top talent: Candidates are looking for benefits that align with their long-term goals.
- Promote diversity and inclusion: Family-forming support creates a more inclusive environment for all families.
- Support employee wellness: Navigating family-building can be stressful—benefits that ease that burden can increase satisfaction and productivity.
According to the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP), more than 40% of employers now offer some form of fertility benefit, and that number continues to grow. In addition, 37% of employers offered paid adoption leave in 2024, signaling a broader shift toward family-forming support.
What Fertility Benefits Can Employers Offer?
Fertility-related benefits come in different forms, and understanding how they work is key to helping clients make informed decisions. Here are common offerings and how brokers can position them:
- Reimbursement Stipends: Employers offer a set dollar amount per year (e.g., $2,000–$5,000) that employees can use toward eligible family-forming expenses. Brokers can help clients decide on stipend amounts, eligibility criteria, and tax implications.
- Adoption or Legal Assistance: This benefit typically reimburses employees for costs related to adoption or legal fees associated with guardianship or custody. Brokers should clarify https://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/fertility-drugs caps, eligible expenses, and documentation requirements.
- Fertility Navigation Services: Third-party platforms (such as Carrot Fertility or Kindbody) help employees access educational resources, schedule appointments, and get matched with vetted providers. Brokers can negotiate contracts and vet vendors to ensure the best fit for the client’s size and budget. Some employers also offer more direct access to fertility specialists, counseling support, and more.
- Fertility Medications: Some employers offer financial assistance or reimbursements for fertility medications like Clomiphene and Gonadotrophins.
- Educational Support: Some employers simply start by providing access to webinars, articles, and one-on-one consultations to educate employees on their options. Brokers can source these materials or partner with providers who include education in their offerings.
All of these benefits can be structured as standalone offerings or bundled into a broader benefits program. As a broker, your role is to help employers understand what’s feasible based on their workforce, goals, and budget.
How Can Brokers Help Clients Implement Fertility Benefits?
Here’s a step-by-step approach brokers can take to introduce and implement fertility benefits for clients:
1. Start the Conversation
- During renewal planning or strategy meetings, ask clients:
- Have employees asked about family-forming support?
- Are family-oriented benefits important to your talent strategy?
- Do you have DEI goals that your benefits package can support?
2. Assess Budget and Goals
- Identify how much the client is willing to invest.
- Determine whether they want to start small (e.g., education or stipends) or explore full-service platforms.
3. Compare Benefit Structures
- Present a few options side-by-side:
- A low-cost option like educational resources or one-time stipends
- A mid-range plan that includes navigation services
- A comprehensive solution with full provider access and support
Brokers can reassure clients that these benefits are more flexible and scalable than they may expect. For example:
- Small employers can offer a $1,000 annual reimbursement for adoption expenses as a starting point.
- Mid-size companies may explore third-party navigation platforms with per-employee-per-month (PEPM) pricing models.
- Larger organizations may opt for full-scale partnerships that bundle fertility navigation into existing health plan offerings.
4. Evaluate Vendors
- Recommend or help clients vet vendors who specialize in fertility and family-forming services. Consider:
- Cost transparency
- Ease of implementation
- Data security and compliance
- Reporting capabilities
5. Draft Plan Documents
- Work with the employer’s legal or compliance team to outline benefits in plan documents.
- Ensure reimbursement processes are clear and compliant with IRS and ERISA rules.
6. Roll Out the Benefit
- Support the client in communicating the new benefit to employees.
- Track engagement and employee feedback for future optimization.
By proactively introducing these benefits, simplifying the process, and offering scalable, compliant options, brokers can build deeper relationships with clients while helping them support a modern, diverse workforce.
Don’t wait for clients to bring it up—lead the conversation.
Additional Resources:
- Brokers’ Corner Podcast—watch and subscribe to the Brokers’ Corner podcast, which dives into the topics that affect your agency and industry and identifies strategies so you can protect and grow your book of business
- BerniePortal Brokers’ Council—a council of benefits brokers from across the country that advises BerniePortal on industry concerns, trends, and the ways technology can best support their agency and employer groups
- BerniePortal for Brokers—leveraging technology to increase your agency valuation and support your employer groups is easier than ever with BerniePortal’s software solution, built for brokers by brokers