Barriers to care are undermining women’s health benefits—despite growing investment

What you need to know:

‍New research shows that access challenges—not coverage limitations—are increasingly driving delayed or skipped women’s healthcare. While employers continue expanding benefits, many employees still struggle to secure timely, practical care.

• One in four women delayed or skipped routine women’s healthcare in the past year
• Scheduling conflicts and long wait times remain the primary barriers
• On-site employees report higher rates of delayed care than remote workers
• Virtual care models like Maven help organizations reduce friction by delivering flexible, clinically guided support that better aligns with modern workforce needs

Access has become one of the most persistent challenges in healthcare. Even as employers increase their investment in benefits, many employees aren’t using them or are delaying care because services remain difficult to obtain. Appointment availability, provider shortages, and scheduling constraints are increasingly shaping how and when employees engage with essential health services. 

In major U.S. metropolitan areas, the average wait time for a new physician appointment—including obstetrics and gynecology—has stretched to approximately 31 days, a 19% rise since 2022. This increases the likelihood that routine or preventive care is postponed. At the same time, more than 5.5 million women live in counties with no or limited maternity care services, or maternity “care deserts”, with hospital closures and reductions in obstetric units continuing to reduce local care availability.

Maven’s State of Women’s and Family Health Benefits 2026 report further highlights the scale of this issue. The findings show that logistical barriers continue to disrupt routine women’s healthcare, maternity support, and high-risk pregnancy management. For employers, this presents a critical benefits reality: coverage alone cannot deliver value if employees cannot practically access or use it.

Why women are delaying essential care

Delayed care is now a widespread workforce reality rather than an isolated issue. 27% of women report postponing or skipping routine women’s healthcare in the past year. This behavior is not driven by reduced need, but by persistent accessibility challenges. Among those who delayed care:

• 53% could not find an appointment time compatible with their schedule
• 39% said it took too long to secure an appointment
• 24% experienced transportation difficulties

These findings reflect broader healthcare system pressures. Across the United States, provider shortages and appointment delays continue to affect access to care. More than one-third of U.S. counties qualify as maternity care deserts, meaning residents face limited or no access to obstetric providers or birth facilities. In practical terms, this often results in longer wait times, fewer appointment options, and greater difficulty maintaining recommended care schedules.

How access barriers compound workforce disparities

Access challenges do not affect all employees equally. Maven’s research highlights clear differences linked to work environment and schedule flexibility, with 31% of on-site employees delaying or skipping women’s healthcare compared to 20% of remote and hybrid workers.

This disparity highlights an important workforce dynamic. Employees working fixed schedules, shift-based roles, or location-dependent jobs may face greater difficulty securing appointments within limited provider hours. By contrast, remote and hybrid workers often retain greater flexibility to integrate healthcare into their day. Such barriers are not limited to women—only 32% of male employees say their reproductive health needs are currently being met.

The consequences extend beyond routine care. Among individuals reporting negative experiences during high-risk pregnancy, limited appointment availability was the most frequently cited reason for delayed care. When monitoring schedules are disrupted, the potential for complications, longer recovery periods, and higher healthcare costs increases. Delayed care becomes both a clinical and organizational concern.

Why access has become a benefits tipping point

When employees cannot access care early, health needs may escalate rather than being managed preventively. Missed screenings, postponed consultations, or delayed maternity monitoring can contribute to more acute interventions later, often accompanied by higher medical costs and increased workplace disruption.

Employers are increasingly aware of this strain. 75% of HR leaders are concerned about reduced access to maternity care and 50% are actively expanding or changing benefits as a result, with a further 41% considering similar adjustments.

This shift signals a broader evolution in benefits strategy. Healthcare access is no longer solely a system-level issue. It has become a defining factor in benefits effectiveness, employee experience, and return on investment. Benefits that are difficult to use or impacted by long wait times risk underutilization, inconsistent outcomes for the workforce, and declining employee trust. For those whose needs aren’t met, this can have a dramatic impact on retention rates, with 69% of employees stating they have either taken or considered a new job that offers better family and women’s health benefits. 

What HR leaders can do to improve access to care

Improving access does not necessarily require adding more benefits. In many cases, the greater opportunity lies in reducing friction within existing programs: 

• Expand virtual access. Virtual care models help remove common barriers linked to scheduling, geography, and transportation. Providing clinically guided support through digital platforms enables employees to engage with care more flexibly.
• Design benefits around workforce realities. Employees balancing work and caregiving demands benefit from services that accommodate evenings, weekends, and on-demand communication.
• Address disparities across workforce types. Differences between on-site, remote, and hybrid employees should inform benefits design decisions. Benefits need to support reproductive health for the full workforce, including men.
• Communicate clearly and proactively. Even accessible solutions require visibility. Employees must understand where to seek care and how to access support quickly.

By prioritizing accessibility alongside coverage, employers can reduce delays, improve outcomes, and strengthen benefits engagement.

How Maven helps employers close access gaps

Maven helps organizations respond to healthcare barriers through a clinically managed, end-to-end care model designed to deliver timely, flexible support across women’s and family health.

Through a single platform, employees gain 24/7 access to specialized providers spanning fertility, maternity, parenting, and menopause. This model directly addresses the logistical challenges driving delayed care by reducing reliance on limited local appointment availability and rigid provider schedules.

For employers, the impact extends beyond access alone. Organizations partnering with Maven report measurable improvements across retention, productivity, and workforce stability. 96% of Maven Fertility & Family Building members say they feel more loyal to their employer, while 88% report being more productive at work during fertility treatment due to the support received. Among parents, 95% of Maven members say they feel more supported by their employer, and 74% are more likely to stay as a direct result of the guidance and care provided.

These outcomes highlight a broader shift in how benefits create value. By pairing flexible access with clinically guided support, employers can transform benefits from theoretical coverage into practical, trusted care that employees actively engage with.

Read more in Maven’s State of Women’s and Family Health Benefits 2026 report to discover how access challenges are reshaping benefits strategy and how leading organizations are responding.