Episode 122: Turning Dreams into Reality with Employer-Sponsored Coverage

Scott McGahey and his wife were among the 1 in 8 that struggled with infertility – their attempts at IUI and IVF failed, and when their employer-sponsored coverage ran out, the couple started thinking their dream of starting a family was impossible.

Just as the couple started considering other options, Scott got amazing news. His employer, Willis Tower Watson, had enacted Progyny, meaning Scott and his wife could continue their family building journey on their own terms – with financial help and Patient Care Advocate support.

Today’s episode dives into Scott’s story which, while challenging at times, was ultimately worth it, when, with the help of employer-sponsored coverage, he finally became a dad.

Guest: Scott McGahey, Progyny

Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny

For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility.

Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.

Here are some highlights from this episode:

An Uncomfortable Experience
04:19 – 04:44

Scott McGahey: We were looking for an emotional connection but that wasn’t the case. There was very little bedside manner from the doctor, and it just felt like he was running us through a mill or a factory. It felt like we were just one of hundreds of customers and patients that he had, and he didn’t have the time to connect on a personal basis. We just didn’t have a good experience.

Being Told What to Do
04:47 – 05:31

Scott McGahey: We did blood work, numerous consultations and ultrasounds. We ended up proceeding with two rounds of IUI, both of which failed. The reason we had to do that ultimately was because our health plan mandated that we go through these two rounds of IUI with failure before we can move to IVF. We knew that was the best likelihood of success but again trying to utilize that bucket of money that was in the health plan and getting the carrier paid for it put us in a situation where we weren’t really making our own healthcare decisions. We were being told what the next steps were by the insurance carrier.

A New Hope
08:27 – 09:03

Scott McGahey: There was this what’s new in 2019 communication piece for my company, and there was this new benefit called Progyny. Honestly, I was not so familiar with Progyny at that time but in the brief introduction I read that it was a fertility solution. I educated myself in it and a light bulb went off in my head instantly. We may have another shot at our own biological family and it’s getting paid for by Willis Towers Watson. This was a new hope.

Progyny’s Prestige
11:28 – 12:35

Scott McGahey: The doctor and the fertility clinic that we wanted to be with originally was part of the processing network. That made us feel instantly good about where we were with this benefit, and we got to go back to the doctor that we wanted to work with. I remember going back into that consultation and at that point they asked us how we were going to be paying for this. The last time we talked we were Blue Cross Blue Shield members, and we were going to have to pay out of our pocket. We told them we have this new benefit called Progyny and I remember the doctor, billing coordinator and the staff there at the clinic all just lit up with a smile. They said that it was an awesome benefit, we were going to have a completely different experience, and we’re going to love it. Having those people within the clinic give us that reassurance that this was going to be a really good experience for us because of the Progyny benefit. That just made us feel good

The Benefit of Progyny
14:35 – 14:57

Scott McGahey: We did genetic testing, which was included within the Progyny benefit. We didn’t have to pay out of pocket for that testing to occur, which was a big component of the Progyny program. It allows the doctor to evaluate and determine the healthiest embryos and those are going to give you the highest chance of success of having a live birth.