Carrot Fertility, the global fertility benefits platform, is expanding its menopause and low testosterone offerings with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) coverage.
Carrot members will now have access to HRT medication to manage menopause and low testosterone symptoms and will be able to order the medications through Carrot Rx, the company’s virtual pharmacy available in all 50 states.
Members will also have access to virtual and in-person clinic visits with doctors specializing in menopause and low testosterone care. The company claims this is the first offering of its kind.
“The dramatic hormonal changes seen during menopause and age-related low T can negatively impact people physically, mentally, and emotionally and, unfortunately, many treatment options are not covered by health insurance,” Asima Ahmad, M.D.,Carrot’s co-founder and chief medical officer, said in a press release. “With both provider matching through Carrot's menopause and low T network and coverage for HRT, members can now get the comprehensive care they need, when they need it.”
Major gaps in care exist for women in perimenopause or menopause. Three out of four women who seek help for symptoms don’t receive it. This is partly driven by fear and misinformation. And doctors receive little training in menopause care. Additionally, Carrot argues, conflicting guidance around HRT has led payers to offer only limited coverage.
In a 2022 survey of 1,000 women, Carrot found that women ranked their 50s as the most challenging decade to be in the workforce. Nearly half have considered changing jobs to find remote work to better manage symptoms.
Carrot first introduced its age-inclusive fertility benefits for menopause and low testosterone last year. Since then, more than half of all its customers have added the options to their fertility benefits packages, according to a press release. That offers them the option to have improved access to providers in a specialized network, clinically supervised education and peer support.
There's increasing interest in menopause care as more employers look to offer the benefit. Maven Clinic has expanded its offerings to include a dedicated program for menopause care. Telehealth company Hims & Hers, which performed well in 2022 despite eroding market value in health tech, has indicated its interest to expand into testosterone and menopause care. Northwell Holdings and Aegis Ventures jointly launched a virtual menopause care platform last fall.
Carrot aims to fill gaps in current health insurance coverage and can be a boon for employee retention, covering millions of lives. In the last year, the company has doubled its customer base to more than 800 companies.