By Russ Freyman, Group Vice President, Mid-Market Sales, Progyny
Family building benefits have become table stakes. But for mid-sized employers, they’re also becoming a major source of complexity and risk, as benefit leaders are being asked to deliver enterprise-level benefits without enterprise-level resources.
If this isn’t difficult enough, today’s employee base is more informed and opinionated than ever about their health and wellness needs. I’ve spoken to candidates and former colleagues, for example, who won’t even consider joining an organization that does not adequately support family building.
Meeting the needs of employees while ensuring benefit programs do not break the bank has led many organizations to add a patchwork of point solutions, each of which comes with their own set of promises. Unfortunately, these additions also create unintended complexity, like:
- Operational strain, as HR teams juggle multiple vendors and solutions;
- Limited visibility into what’s actually driving healthcare spend;
- Inconsistent employee experiences, forcing individuals to navigate complicated, high‑stakes decisions on their own.
And when the data from various solutions doesn’t talk to one another, it becomes just about impossible to:
- Evaluate quality;
- Identify opportunities for early intervention;
- Predict and manage future costs.
Fragmentation doesn’t only create administrative burden for under‑sized HR teams; it also increases financial risk, limits cost predictability, and leaves employees searching for the right level of care during some of the most emotional and complicated moments in their lives—when clarity and support matter most.
Most mid-sized employers with whom I speak recognize these issues, but unraveling the status quo and finding something better is not necessarily simple. This is where an integrated approach makes a meaningful difference. By bringing women’s health, family building, and high‑risk maternity together, Progyny can help mid-sized employers reduce complexity and program spend while delivering a more seamless experience for employees.
Want a deeper look?
Dive deeper here and download The case for an integrated model explainer for a clear breakdown of today’s challenges and a framework for simplifying family building and women’s health benefits.