Walmart names Kindbody as provider of associate fertility, family-building benefits

Walmart associates will have access to more than 30 state-of-the-art clinics across the United States, including a new clinic in Northwest Arkansas.

Sandra Levy

9/27/2022

Walmart is enhancing benefits for its associates. The retailer has named Kindbody as the fertility provider for its new Center of Excellence for family-building benefits. Associates will have access to Kindbody’s network of facilities across the United States, including a new state-of-the-art clinic and in vitro fertilization lab in Rogers, Ark. that will provide comprehensive virtual, at-home and in-clinic care. The new facility is expected to open later this year.

“Providing access to high-quality health care is very important to us, and we’ve heard from our associates that improved access to fertility, surrogacy and adoption support is a priority for them and their families,” said Kim Lupo, senior vice president of Walmart Global Total Rewards. “Through Kindbody, Walmart associates in every corner of the country will have access to a variety of services to aid in their family-planning journey.”

Through this new Center of Excellence, Walmart associates and their dependents who are enrolled in a self-insured Walmart medical plan will be able to receive fertility care from Kindbody’s highly-trained team, inclusive of board-certified reproductive endocrinologists and senior embryologists, at one of Kindbody’s Signature Clinics nationwide. Services include fertility assessments and education, fertility preservation, genetic testing, in vitro fertilization and intrauterine insemination.

Kindbody also will be available to help eligible associates access Walmart’s surrogacy and adoption benefits. These Walmart benefits include financial support of up to $20,000, lifetime max, for eligible surrogacy and adoption expenses. Walmart benefits will continue to include enhanced maternity and parental leave for qualified full-time hourly and salaried associates that allows birth moms to receive up to 16 weeks of paid time off. New parents, including adoptive and foster parents, also receive six weeks paid parental leave to bond with a new child.

“We’re incredibly honored to become a Walmart Center of Excellence and provide high-quality care to Walmart associates, furthering our mission to make fertility and family-building care affordable and accessible for all,” said Gina Bartasi, founder and chairwoman of Kindbody. “Our partnership with Walmart signals that fertility benefits have joined medical, dental and vision as standard workplace benefits for leading employers.”

This center will build on Walmart's existing 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. Walmart chooses Centers of Excellence through a highly selective process, which requires healthcare providers to demonstrate an ability to provide excellent care, a dedication to addressing the root cause of a patient's condition and an outstanding patient experience, among other key criteria that are reviewed, the company said.

Related Topics