UFCW Local 152: How Personal Pain Led to Life Changing Benefits

This is Infertility

Guest: Danny Ross, Jr., UFCW Local 152 President Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny 

Danny and Elizabeth Ross got married at 26, excited to start their lives together and hopeful about growing a family. When they started trying, they were met with a series of challenges that changed everything.

Elizabeth was diagnosed with endometriosis and PCOS. Danny had male factor infertility. After a year of trying to conceive, they were told their best option was IVF. At the time, they had no fertility coverage.

They started with IUI. One attempt turned into two, then six, then thirteen. They tore through their savings. Elizabeth suffered an ectopic pregnancy that led to the removal of one of her fallopian tubes. They had hit a wall. IVF was their next and only option.

On their third round of IVF, their first daughter was finally born, and they welcomed their second, a few years later. Through it all, Danny and Elizabeth remained each other’s rocks: husband, wife, and best friends.

Today, Danny is the president of UFCW Local 152, where he oversees the benefits for thousands of union members. When the opportunity arose to improve those benefits, his mind immediately went to fertility. Could they offer fertility coverage to union families so others wouldn’t have to go through what he did?

After an exhaustive search, they decided to partner with Progyny, a labor-friendly benefit with experience supporting union members. For Danny, what stood out most were the Progyny Care Advocates and Smart Cycle plan design. It was everything they never had: guidance, clarity, and a path to better outcomes.

Tune into this episode as Danny reflects on the impact of adding fertility coverage to his union’s benefits and the importance of leaving things better than he found them.

For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at [email protected]. 

Music:

V7DM5RBZLGAXKDRW