For decades, employer health plans treated women’s health as a maternity question. Coverage focused on pregnancy and childbirth, and the rest of a woman’s health span got less attention.
That singular perspective is breaking down. Rising employee demand and a clearer business case are pushing women’s health from a niche line item toward a core part of competitive benefits design.
Two forces are driving this change:
Federal rules now require coverage that many plans previously left out
Employees across generations have grown vocal about wanting support through fertility, pregnancy, menopause, and the years in between.
Employers who understand both can satisfy compliance and competitiveness in the same move.
A commonly cited number in this space comes from the McKinsey Health Institute and the World Economic Forum. Their research found that women spend 25% more of their lives in poor health than men, and that closing that gap could add at least $1 trillion to the global economy annually by 2040. More than half of that health gap falls during women’s working years, affecting productivity, attendance, and retention.
That puts women’s health squarely on the workforce ledger. Unmanaged health conditions leave employers to absorb the cost through higher claims and turnover. Supporting women’s health across life stages is one way to protect both health and the bottom line.
Employers don’t have to wait for a strategy to start, because one change is already required. Effective for plan years beginning on or after December 31, 2025, the Affordable Care Act’s preventive-care rules expand what plans must cover.
Under updated HRSA guidelines, most non-grandfathered group health plans must now cover, without cost sharing, any additional breast cancer imaging (such as an MRI or ultrasound), pathology needed to complete a screening after an initial mammogram, and patient navigation services for breast and cervical cancer screening. Previously, many plans treated follow-up imaging as diagnostic, meaning employees paid their deductible and coinsurance for it.
Employers should confirm with their carrier or third-party administrator that follow-up imaging is being processed as first-dollar preventive care, as coding issues can result in employees being billed incorrectly.
Beyond what’s mandated, employees expect support across the full arc of women’s health. Three areas are drawing the most attention.
Menopause is the fastest-emerging category. Research cited by Evernorth found that 1 in 10 women leave their jobs due to unmanaged menopause symptoms, and a WebMD Health Services study found that 69% of women believe employers have a responsibility to offer menopause support. Yet coverage remains thin. According to Maven’s 2026 report, only 29% of organizations offer menopause-specific support. Practical options include coverage for hormone therapy, access to specialized clinicians and mental health support, and flexible scheduling during symptom flare-ups.
Fertility and family-building benefits have moved from perk to expectation. Employers are expanding coverage for IVF, egg freezing, adoption, and surrogacy to reflect how people build families. Maven’s data show that about 40% of organizations now offer fertility services, leaving room for employers who want to differentiate.
Broader reproductive and maternal care make up the third area. This includes gynecologic care, treatment for endometriosis and PCOS, and maternal mental health support, often delivered through telehealth to reduce time away from work.
Expanding women’s health benefits does not require funding every category at once. An effective approach starts with the data you already have, looking at claims patterns, utilization, and workforce demographics to identify which life stages are most represented.
From there, ask employees directly. A short, anonymous survey on unmet needs surfaces gaps that claims data alone will miss, and it signals that leadership is paying attention.
Then roll out the plan incrementally, rather than launching everything in a single enrollment cycle. Begin with the mandated preventive coverage and one high-demand category, such as menopause support, and build from there. Along the way, communicate what already exists, because many employees don’t know their plan covers preventive screenings or telehealth. Year-round communication improves adoption of the benefits you’re already paying for.
The employers who handle this well keep women’s health on the agenda year-round. They review coverage against current federal requirements, watch where employee demand is heading, and let their own workforce data guide where the next dollar goes. That discipline keeps spending tied to real needs instead of whatever benefit happens to be getting attention that quarter.
The mandate gives every employer a starting point and the opportunity to build on it. Women who can manage their health through every life stage spend less time sidelined by untreated conditions, and the whole workforce feels the benefit. For employers weighing where to invest next, that is a strong place to look.
Content provided by Q4intelligence
Photo by Mark Adams