Innovation in menopause care is gaining momentum 

Menopause and perimenopause are natural transitions that affect nearly every woman at some point, yet the accompanying symptoms are often swept under the rug in the workplace.  

Menopause officially hits when a woman has gone 12 months without a menstrual cycle, usually by a woman’s early 50s; however, the lead up to menopause, referred to as perimenopause, can stretch over a decade. Perimenopause, which can begin as early as a woman’s mid 30s or early 40s, brings fluctuating hormones resulting in a highly variable suite of disorienting and frustrating symptoms such as brain fog, hot flashes, sleep disruptions, anxiety, and irregular periods. With nearly 2 million women entering perimenopause each year in the United States, it’s no wonder that employees are asking for support. 

Employer benefits strategies around women’s health have largely focused on the reproductive and family-building years while overlooking women’s needs in midlife. This oversight is especially costly given that women in this life stage may be at the height of their careers, making up a large portion of leadership. In fact, a study from Mayo Clinic put a price tag on the loss: an estimated $1.8 billion in lost work time annually and over $26 billion when you factor in medical costs. Silence around menopause may also undermine inclusion goals, as women of color are more likely to experience intense symptoms and are less likely to receive adequate care. Without supportive policies, flexible schedules, or benefits that recognize menopause, many women are left to push through or bow out.  

Menopause is neither new, nor niche, yet there is a major gap in awareness among women’s healthcare providers. Only 20% of OB/GYN residency programs provide menopause training (most as an elective) and, according to a 2022 Mayo Clinic survey, just 7% of OB/GYN residents felt adequately prepared to manage patients experiencing menopause. That lack of education can lead to misdiagnosis, missed diagnoses, unnecessary specialist visits, and untreated symptoms, resulting in potentially higher healthcare costs, negative health outcomes, and productivity losses.  

Digital solutions 

Employers looking to improve support for women in the midlife phase can turn to the growing range of digital solutions offering perimenopause and menopause support and medical care, support for weight and body changes, hormone therapy, and coaching. More than just a means of getting prescriptions for hormone replacement therapy medications, wraparound support services help women manage the slew of confusing symptoms – depression, anxiety, weight gain, sleep issues, hair loss, and more – that can bog them down. Some programs also offer digital career coaching.  

Recent notable innovations in this space include: 

• Virtual prescribers and clinics: Some solutions are designed as virtual clinics, such as Midi, Gennev, and Visana, and positioned as in-network providers with major medical carriers. Members can access these as part of their regular medical plan benefits. 
• One-stop reproductive health shops: Other solutions, such as Carrot, Progyny, Maven, Kindbody, and WIN, known for providing services in the reproductive and family building phase of life, have added capabilities to support members in menopause. Employers that already use these vendors to deliver other reproductive services can extend coverage to include menopause. 
• Education and empowerment: Other, more niche menopause solutions are designed to empower women to have discussions with their current providers by equipping them with symptom trackers and detailed information, such as MenopauseIQ (by Inflection) and Midday. 
• Pelvic health and more: Solutions focused in other areas, such as musculoskeletal issues, have launched menopause-focused support and education paired with pelvic health solutions. Both Hinge Health and Sword have recently launched these capabilities. 
• Devices: A number of highly innovative solutions have developed wearable devices to track and/or mitigate symptoms. Peri is a discreet wearable device designed to be worn on the torso to track symptoms such as hot flashes, sleep, and menstrual cycles. Embr is a visually appealing wristband that provides users on-demand relief from hot flashes by stimulating temperature-sensitive nerves, impacting perceived temperature. 

Vendor solutions can make up one key component of a comprehensive menopause strategy. Employers should also consider how to communicate hybrid work policies, sick time, short-term disability, mental health or other benefits that may already be available as well as how to build a culture where menopause isn’t stigmatized. Finally, The Menopause Society provides a selection of free resources for employers looking to better understand their employees' needs and what can be done to help. We will be discussing other strategies to support women in the perimenopause and menopause phase in an upcoming blog post. 

Some employers are starting to include menopause-specific programs in their offerings; however, the area remains largely underserved. Making space for menopause in the benefits conversation isn’t progressive – it’s smart business.