The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America announced it is partnering with global fertility, family-building and hormonal health platform Carrot to provide Guardian members with access to Carrot’s services as part of its hospital indemnity insurance policy.
Guardian claims the partnership makes it the first carrier to integrate this offering directly into a hospital indemnity insurance product.
Guardian’s hospital indemnity insurance allows employees to access Carrot and receive individualized guidance, as well as comprehensive educational materials, on pre-conception, maternity, fertility treatments, menopause and urology.
Employees will also have access to Carrot Academy, which provides a digital library of clinically reviewed content, and Provider Finder, offering employees entry to more than 900 U.S. clinics specializing in fertility, urology and menopause.
Carrot Companions will also be available to chat with employees 24/7. They provide individualized navigation and guidance custom-made to an employee’s needs.
“Family-building and hormonal health are deeply personal for men and women alike and having the right support can make all the difference,” Jessica Vanscavish, head of disability, absence, life and supplemental health at Guardian, said in a statement.
“With Carrot, we’re making it easier for employees to access the resources they need to feel supported across mind, body and wallet, regardless of where they are in their family-building and fertility health journey.”
Tammy Sun, founder and CEO of Carrot, said the collaboration with Guardian reflects the company’s shared commitment to supporting individuals and families at every major moment of their lives.
“We are dedicated to ensuring that we fill care gaps, expand access and improve outcomes for those on these critical and too often overlooked journeys,” Sun said in a statement.
THE LARGER TREND
In January, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America teamed up with Uber Health to allow Guardian Group Benefits members with an approved long-term disability claim to receive an Uber voucher for rides to medical appointments or rehabilitation services.
The aim is to help eliminate barriers to care and support member recovery and well-being.
The companies said they will gradually expand the collaboration to include other Guardian members, such as short-term disability claimants, as well as support the unique needs of caregivers.
In March, the Global Health Benefits (GHB) business of Cigna Healthcare’s International Health division announced a new offering powered by Carrot to provide personalized support, education and guidance for eligible GHB customers and their covered spouses/partners navigating fertility, family-building and hormonal health journeys.
That same month, Teladoc Health expanded its existing partnerships to include Carrot.
In 2024, it launched its maternity-focused provider matching platform, CarrotMatch.
CarrotMatch utilizes datasets with over 200 metrics to evaluate providers on quality, cost of care and established outcomes. It then matches Carrot’s members to a provider according to their needs.
Other companies in the fertility space include Manulife Canada, which earlier this month partnered with Maven Clinic to provide Manulife Group Benefits plan members with access to Maven’s digital programs.
Maven Clinic focuses on supporting women and families in areas such as fertility, family building and planning, maternity and newborn care, parenting, pediatrics and menopause.
In March, Axia Women’s Health announced it secured multi-year agreements with Cigna Healthcare and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Axia connects women to a network of providers, including OB/GYN physicians, breast health centers, high-risk pregnancy centers, laboratories and fertility centers.
In 2023, Maven Clinic partnered with Amazon to provide the retail giant’s employees with access to its fertility and family-building support services.
Amazon and Maven will offer employees of the multinational company free access to fertility doctors, gynecologists, adoption coaches, mental health providers, obstetricians, nutritionists and other providers through Maven’s platform.
