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A 32-year-old social worker took a second full-time job working nights to get IVF coverage
Published by Fortune – Read the Full Story
After spending more than two years and thousands of dollars on two rounds of IVF, a Minnesota-based aspiring mother ran out of money. But instead of giving up her dreams of motherhood, she got a second, full-time job at an online retailer’s warehouse to help cover the cost of another attempt.
“We needed to feel like we gave it every shot we could,” Julie, 32, tells Fortune. She asked that her last name be withheld to protect her privacy.
Roughly 1 in 8 couples, or 7.4 million people, struggle with infertility, according to the latest figures from RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association. But in many cases, employer-sponsored health insurance and benefits don’t offer comprehensive fertility coverage. Employees find themselves struggling to pay out of pocket for expensive procedures, such as IVF, which can cost upwards of $16,000 per cycle. And most women, like Julie, go through multiple cycles.
