Do Amazon Fertility Benefits Have a Dark Side for IVF Patients?
Is it true Amazon offers first-rate fertility benefits? Many individuals and couples alike believe that the U.S. health-care system treats IVF and egg freezing as excesses for the wealthy. With one in six couples facing infertility, fertility benefits in the workplace can be a pitfall.
There is no federal mandate to provide infertility coverage — a bill requiring private health insurers to do so has stalled in Congress — and at the state level, coverage is sporadic. A single full IVF cycle can cost up to $30,000, and most people are stuck paying for treatments out of pocket.
With the high costs of fertility treatment, some are applying for jobs that offer excellent benefits. While Silicon Valley heavyweights like Apple and Meta are at the forefront of benefits and perks — there is now a growing list of corporations, including Wayfair, Target, Starbucks, and Amazon, that offer benefits to admirable, lower-wage workers.
More than 40 percent of large companies with at least 20,000 staffers now cover IVF, and almost 20 percent cover egg freezing, a number that has almost quadrupled since 2015. But most U.S. employees still lack any access.
Amazon has the most attractive incentive for women struggling to get pregnant. If you get hired by Amazon, pass the background check and drug test — insurance coverage starts on day one.
Is there a dark side to Amazon fertility benefits? Overnight hours, heavy lifting, pressure on the feet? A spokesperson for Amazon stated, Amazon offers a “variety of flexible shift options” and that any employee who’s pregnant or trying to get pregnant “can be accommodated consistent with recommendations they receive from their health care providers.”
Amazon indicated that while the company doesn’t have evidence of women taking warehouse jobs for IVF coverage, it encourages employees to use all available benefits. The company covers infertility treatment coverage and access to infertility treatment specialists for its workers.