The problem:
Infertility is common. One in six people are affected by infertility in the U.S., outpacing diabetes and cancer. 63% of LGBTQ Millennials are considering expanding their families and may require assisted reproductive technology (ART) to do so. High-quality reproductive healthcare is critical healthcare, but it’s inequitable, expensive, and inaccessible to most. It’s no surprise that Walmart, the nation’s largest employer, heard from its associates that improved access to fertility, surrogacy, and adoption support is a priority for them and their families. Walmart set out to solve this problem for its 1.6 million associates with a fertility and family-building benefit solution that would align with the cornerstone of their strategy:
- the highest quality care
- the lowest possible price – nationalized case rates
- equitable access to Walmart’s diverse population across the U.S. and Puerto Rico
The solution:
Walmart named Kindbody as its Fertility Center of Excellence (COE) for family-building in September 2022. Eligible Walmart associates, partners, spouses, and dependents receive $20,000 for fertility treatments, donor egg or sperm, and fertility medications. Eligible associates also have access to reimbursement of up to $20,000 for surrogacy and adoption services.
The COE for fertility and family-building builds on Walmart’s proven COE model, which provides benefit support and coverage for certain heart, spine and joint surgeries and cancer treatments, in partnership with some of the best healthcare providers and facilities in the country. At the heart of the COE is Walmart’s commitment to increasing access to some of the best specialists and facilities in the country to ensure its associates have the highest quality care for complex conditions.
In 2024 Kindbody grew its partnership with Walmart to give fertility and family-building care access to 17,000 Walmart associates who live in Puerto Rico, where access to care is scarce and very expensive. Walmart covers airfare to Kindbody clinics and lodging for Walmart associates in Puerto Rico as part of the program. Kindbody also launched a doula program that connects Walmart employees to certified doulas across the country. Kindbody’s doula program is transformational because the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is an epidemic. It is 3x higher than high-income countries, despite the fact that the U.S. spends 40% more on healthcare per person than any other country in the world. Kindbody’s doula program connects every Walmart employee with a DONA certified doula (DONA International is the leader in evidence-based doula training, certification and continuing education) wherever they live, which in turn reduces risk, improves compliance to care, and addresses issues like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, all of which will result in better health outcomes for both mom and baby.
Kindbody’s approach:
Kindbody is the only fertility benefits provider that is in the provision of care. As the direct provider of clinical care, Kindbody is uniquely positioned to provide a seamless continuum of care, decrease cost, improve patient experience, and deliver better health outcomes. Walmart associates have access to Kindbody’s network of 32 state-of-the-art clinics nationwide, including a new clinic and in vitro fertilization (IVF) lab in Arkansas, home to Walmart headquarters.
Kindbody delivers superior clinical outcomes, exceptional patient experience, and decreases cost through:
- A broad spectrum of care in modalities to serve associates when and where they need it through virtual appointments, Kindbody signature clinics, and at-home testing.
- Proprietary technology that combines online scheduling for virtual and in-person appointments and a patient portal and electronic medical record (EMR) for increased standardization of care.
- A national bundled payment model that aligns incentives and provides equitable benefits to Walmart’s diverse workforce, resulting in more than 20-30%+ cost savings.
- State-of-art clinics and IVF labs, veteran clinical leadership, and industry-leading success rates including pregnancy rates per IVF transfer that are 30% higher than the national average and a 98% single embryo transfer rate.
- A delightful patient experience with a net promoter score (NPS) that is consistently 88 or higher.
- Fertility and family-building benefits that go beyond a navigation platform. Kindbody provides associates with clinical visits in the comfort of their homes, no matter where they are, profoundly impacting the life of associates and their families.
