Sarah Hyland Calls for More Employers to Cover the Cost of Freezing Your Eggs

Having children is an intensely personal and individual journey. But unfortunately, reproductive options often lead to a tremendous financial burden on so many, with fertility treatments typically costing in the tens of thousands of dollars and rarely covered in full by insurance providers.

Sarah Hyland recently opened up about the cost-prohibitive nature of reproductive care, calling on employers to cover the costs of egg freezing. In the Wednesday, March 10th, episode of Lady Parts, her weekly webseries about sexual health, Hyland joined her co-host, ob-gyn Sherry A. Ross, M.D., F.A.C.O.G, and guests Kourtney and Khloé Kardashian. The foursome teamed up for a candid chat about egg freezing, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and the many factors that go into the process of having children.

The Modern Family alum seemed shocked to learn that the optimal window for female reproductive health is your early 20s, a time when many might not be ready to even think about having a baby. Dr. Ross shared that many technological advances make it so cryopreservation (aka freezing your eggs, sperm, or embryos for conception at a later time), is a viable option for people throughout their 30s, extending your window, but Hyland noted that it’s an extremely expensive undertaking that isn’t often covered by insurers or employers.

Women make this decision between career and having a family so often, and sometimes women aren’t able to afford the egg freezing process, Hyland said. It’s really expensive. So I really think that employers should cover that.

Kourtney and Khloé, who both shared that they’ve undergone the egg freezing process themselves, agreed that it’s “very expensive,” with all four women noting that being able to have the freedom to make reproductive choices on your own terms is empowering—that is, of course, if you can afford to do so.

Here’s hoping that reproductive care will become more accessible to all, because every person deserves to make those decisions on their own terms and with plenty of support, financial and clinical. Props to these ladies for being so open about their own experiences and reminding us that the path to parenthood looks different for every person.