During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the number of Canadian women making claims for fertility medications dropped by 10.8%, according to Manulife aggregate claims data. With more limited access to fertility clinic services at that time, it is possible that women weren’t being prescribed these medications as frequently.
That decrease was short-lived.
In 2021, there was a jump in the use of fertility medications among women, which carried over into 2023, resulting in a total 25.7% increase since the early stages of the pandemic. Compared to pre-pandemic rates, our claims data shows a 12.2% overall increase in the number of women using fertility drugs from 2019 to 2023.
Canadian members with Manulife Group Benefits extended healthcare coverage have access to fertility medications. However, fewer than 1% of employers with a Manulife group benefits plan offer coverage for fertility clinic treatments as part of their plan, representing about 10% of Canadians covered by our plans.
“Employers frequently offer coverage for fertility drugs but not for treatments at a fertility clinic,” says Alanna Macintyre, a Group Benefits Product Manager at Manulife. "Providing coverage for both drugs and treatment makes a tremendous difference for women and their partners in terms of giving them the resources they need to effectively pursue their path to parenthood.”
Infertility affects about 1 in 6 couples and seeking treatment can be expensive and stressful. For example, the average cost of the medications, treatments, and procedures for one round of in vitro fertilization in Canada is $20,000.
For employers who want to opt in for fertility benefits, the standard recommendation is to offer a minimum of $15,000 per lifetime per family, although there are employers who offer coverage of up to $50,000 per lifetime per family.
