Bonus: Hot dogs w/ a side of menopur: our conversation with the team behind Costco's IVF announcement
Surprise! Ahead of our Season 3 premiere next week (April 24, mark your calendars and hit follow [https://open.spotify.com/show/0f8DPPvSResx8Gy2QtSQwc]), we’re dropping a very special bonus episode today. We’re talking about the Costco fertility news everyone’s been buzzing about and how this offering actually works for IVF patients.
We first sat down with David Goldhill, the Co-Founder and CEO at Sesame, and then spoke to Lynn Mason, the CEO of IVI RMA North America. Both of them helped us to unpack the three-way partnership between Costco, Sesame, and IVI RMA North America, and how it’s working to bring more transparency and lower costs to fertility care and IVF treatment this year.
And because yes, this involves Costco: no, you don’t need to buy IVF meds in bulk. No, there aren’t free samples (unfortunately). And yes—you can still grab your rotisserie chicken, paper towels, and snacks while picking up your prescriptions.
We get into why Costco is entering the fertility space, how this model is designed to reduce one of the biggest barriers in IVF (cost) and what it looks like to simplify a system that’s traditionally been expensive, gatekept by insurance, and nearly impossible to navigate.
We also talk about how this partnership actually works, who it’s for (currently and how they hope to expand it in the future), and what it means for the future of reproductive healthcare. It’s IVF, Costco-style. 🤪
Have you used Sesame, IVI RMA, or Costco yet for fertility benefits? Let us know in the comments x
Today’s guests:
David Goldhill (Co-Founder & CEO, Sesame [http://sesamecare.com]) is a nationally recognized healthcare reform advocate and the co-founder and CEO of Sesame, the leading cash-pay healthcare platform connecting patients directly with top-rated doctors at transparent, up-front prices.
His journey into healthcare transformation began in 2009 with his groundbreaking Atlantic cover story, “How American Healthcare Killed My Father.” The piece sparked a national conversation and led to his bestselling book, Catastrophic Care: Why Everything We Think We Know About Health Care Is Wrong, establishing David as a leading voice in rethinking how healthcare is financed and delivered in America.
Today, those ideas power Sesame’s mission to expand access to affordable care for millions of Americans shut out of the traditional system — from primary care to specialty services.
David previously served as Chair of The Leapfrog Group, the nation’s leading advocate for healthcare transparency and patient safety, a role closely aligned with Sesame’s mission. He termed off the board two years ago. He currently serves as a Senior Fellow in Health Care Policy at the Manhattan Institute, where he remains deeply engaged in efforts to reform how care is delivered in the United States.
Prior to his work in healthcare, David built a distinguished media career as President and CEO of Game Show Network and President of Television at Universal Studios.
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About Sesame: Sesame is the only cash-pay healthcare platform connecting patients directly with top-rated doctors at transparent, up-front prices. By removing insurance, Sesame unlocks lower cost, more convenient access to high-quality clinicians for everyday care. Sesame has served over 1 million patients to date, offering more than 380 services across all 50 states. Learn more at sesamecare.com [http://sesamecare.com/].
Lynn Mason (Chief Executive Officer, IVI RMA North America [https://rmanetwork.com/resources/about-ivi-rma-north-america/]) is leading a revolution in reproductive medicine—one built on science, scale, and deep compassion. As CEO of IVI RMA North America, Lynn oversees one of the largest reproductive health networks in North America with 27 labs and 73 locations across the U.S. and Canada. This vast network has helped deliver more than 220,000 babies over the last 20 years to loving families using groundbreaking IVF techniques and compassionate, patient-centered care. But her mission is far from complete.
Under her leadership, IVI RMA North America has expanded access to world-class fertility care for millions of Americans pursuing their fertility preservation and family-building goals, adding 13 labs and 37 new locations and setting new standards in outcomes, innovation and equity. Lynn is a trailblazer redefining what fertility care looks like at scale: more inclusive, more accessible, more research-driven, and more personalized.
A seasoned healthcare executive, Lynn has spent her career driving systemic change in complex care environments. At Broadstep Behavioral Health, Lynn doubled the company’s size and expanded care delivery across seven states. Her leadership at DaVita Kidney Care, DaVita RX, ChenMed, and United Allergy Services also reflects a consistent theme of her strength at building bold, patient-first models that scale nationally, grow rapidly and close critical gaps in care.
Lynn is President-Elect of Fertility Providers Alliance and contributes to the boards of ConvenientMD, Stella Behavioral Health, Shoes That Fit and the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women initiative. She is also an active member of Stanford Women on Boards and the Stanford Black Alumni Association and holds degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and a Doctorate in Healthcare Administration (DHA) from Virginia University of Lynchburg.
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About IVI RMA North America: IVI RMA North America, comprises Reproductive Medicine Associates, Boston IVF, and Toronto-based TRIO. It spans 27 IVF laboratories and has helped women and couples achieve pregnancies which have led to the birth of over 220,000 babies to date. Pioneers in innovative care, including PGT-A, single embryo transfer, fertility preservation, LGBTQ+ care, and more, the network has published over 1,000 papers which have pushed the fertility industry forward. IVI RMA North America is part of IVI RMA Global, the world’s leading reproductive medicine group committed to providing evidence-based fertility solutions to patients seeking treatment anywhere in the world. IVI RMA Global employs more than 6,000 people across 200+ locations in 15 countries. Learn more at rmanetwork.com [https://rmanetwork.com/] and https://www.bostonivf.com/ [http://rmanetwork.com/resources/about-ivi-rma-north-america/]
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