Walmart to offer fertility benefits to U.S. workers

Walmart, the largest private employer in the U.S., said it will now cover fertility benefits under its insurance plan.

Employees enrolled in its medical plan will get subsidies for in vitro fertilization, genetic testing and intrauterine insemination at a network of clinics run by fertility benefits company Kindbody, the retailer announced on Tuesday. 

Walmart will also give employees financial support for surrogacy or adoption, up to a $20,000-lifetime cap. The number of companies offering fertility benefits to workers has grown in recent years as companies look to attract and keep talent.

Read more:Family-building benefits may be key to equity and inclusivity in the workplace

Survey data from workforce consultant Mercer showed that in 2015, just under a quarter of large employers — those with 500 or more workers — covered IVF, for example. In 2020, the figure rose to 27% and jumped to 36% last year. Meanwhile, in 2020, 17% of US companies offered financial assistance toward adoption, up from 12% in 2014, according to the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, a nonprofit that researches worker benefits. 

As of 2019, more than 1 million US workers and their family members received medical benefits through Walmart. The company now gives birth moms up to 16 weeks of paid time off when they have kids. New parents, including adoptive and foster parents, can receive six weeks of paid parental leave.

Walmart said last year it would raise pay for its U.S. workforce, bringing its average hourly wage to $16.40.