From preconception to menopause: Is women’s health management the key to lower costs for employers

​​​With health care costs projected to rise up to 8% year over year in 2025, leaders under immense pressure to reduce costs are being forced to make tough choices that balance employee well-being with the demands of the bottom line.

What to do? Rethink your approach, especially when it comes to women's health.

Why women's health benefits is the key to lowering healthcare costs

Women ages 25 to 54 comprise 65% of the workforce and have unique health needs that often require tailored approaches to ensure the best outcomes. However, access to expert guidance and specialized providers can be hard to find. This leaves over half of the workforce without crucial support, resulting in a higher chance of needing costly interventions down the line.

Imagine the impact on your healthcare costs if you had a program that effectively tackled the below realities:

• Women are 35% more likely than men to skip or avoid care

• Maternity is consistently one of the top three healthcare cost drivers

• One in six people are affected by infertility

• Women in menopause often see multiple untrained specialists who provide ineffective conflicting support, increasing cost per case by 47%

When employers invest in a robust women's health program, they are both meeting their employees' needs as well as lowering their financial risk across the spectrum as a result of focused clinical care.

The Continuum of Care: From Preconception to Menopause

A comprehensive women's health benefit strategy encompasses a wide range of services across several life stages, creating an opportunity for continuous integrated care management, tailored to a woman's health journey. From family planning to prenatal care and menopause, these health milestones act as built-in touchpoints for proactive risk reduction that can impact your bottom line in a major way.

1. Preconception and Fertility Support

A healthy pregnancy starts before someone even thinks about getting pregnant - so access to preconception and trying-to-conceive support is a smart way to manage risk around maternity costs. With integrated whole-being support - from nutrition to mental and financial health - employers can proactively set their populations up for their next phase of health with the tools needed to thrive physically and improve outcomes. Similarly, offering access to fertility services can be a game-changer for organizations. When employers invest in evidence-based comprehensive fertility care with access to the best providers, it significantly decreases their spend on unnecessary treatment and high-cost claims related to multiples and NICU admissions. Meaning - their members get pregnant faster and have healthier full-term pregnancies.

2. Maternity and Postpartum Care

Comprehensive maternity benefits are crucial for supporting women during pregnancy and postpartum. Access to prenatal care, mental health services, and doula and lactation support not only enhances the health of the mother and child but also reduces complications that can lead to costly hospitalizations. ​​​​Data shows that comprehensive maternity care can lower the risk of preterm births and associated complications, ultimately saving organizations money.

3. Chronic Disease Management

Women are more prone to certain chronic conditions, including autoimmune diseases, depression, and anxiety. These conditions can be amplified during major health transitions like having a baby, experiencing infertility, or going through menopause. Offering access to specialized care and wellness programs, such as pelvic floor therapy, can help manage these conditions proactively to minimize the health risks. When these programs are streamlined into one comprehensive solution, employers are in a much better position to address health issues before they escalate into high-risk situations that result in unnecessary emergency care.

4. Menopause Management

Although not every one of your team members with ovaries will have a baby, they'll all experience menopause. An estimated 6,000 American women reach menopause every day-with a majority struggling to understand how to manage it. This lack of support results in costly outcomes for both the employee in lost salary, and employer in lost productivity. According to recent data, 59% of women experiencing menopause report having missed work due to menopausal symptoms while an estimated $1.8 billion in work time is lost each year.

However, when women are supported with a proactive approach to menopause, relying on early intervention, clinical specialists, symptom management, and whole-person-needs assessments - the impact is significant. Not only is their quality of life improved, enabling them to remain engaged and productive during a time of health transition; it also results in 47% less cost per case because the number of unnecessary specialist and urgent care visits is reduced.

Conclusion: The Strategic Advantage of Women's Health Benefits

It's clear there are a number of opportunities for proactive risk management along the women's health journey - but that's not the only reason women's health benefits are gaining momentum among employers and health plans.

Each touchpoint is also an opportunity to provide crucial support to women and growing families within your population.

By providing proactive care from preconception to menopause, employers can reduce healthcare costs without sacrificing their commitment to fostering a culture of health and well-being. It's a win-win for everyone.