Maternal mortality review committees in states across the U.S. have put a much-needed spotlight on maternal health concerns, and health plans should be paying attention.
In preparing a response to an RFI or RFP from a State Medicaid program, health plans should be prepared to demonstrate how they can support equitable care delivery for maternity populations.
Improved health for mothers has long been a priority for State Medicaid programs, as their beneficiaries experience higher rates of preventable poor pregnancy outcomes. Now with maternal health outcomes worsening across the U.S., State Medicaid plans are hyper-focused on strategies to support pregnancy and postpartum care. Here's how health plans should be adapting their offerings to address current needs.
Expand the understanding of "risk" and address health inequities
It’s not enough to address clinical risks. Preventable poor outcomes in the Medicaid population disproportionately affect minorities, and new data shows that these trends only worsened during the pandemic. State Medicaid programs are looking for health plans to address inequities in care that go beyond clinical risk — barriers such as poor health literacy, food insecurity, transportation or childcare needs.
Demonstrating a proven strategy for bettering maternal health in an equitable manner can be a critical differentiator in the procurement process — and a way for a health plan to set themselves apart in a crowded field of competitors, as more health plans look to expand their footprint in the Medicaid sector. Babyscripts can provide operational support to health plans who are looking to bolster their current solutions for maternal health in response to state needs.
Leverage existing solutions built on patient data and real-world use cases
Proven efficacy with a target demographic is one way to strengthen a proposal. With 8+ years of on-the-ground data, Babyscripts continuously iterates to tailor our solution to the clinical and social needs of our users, and has anticipated many of the current needs of Medicaid members in our product suite.
Babyscripts provides digitally accessible content at a simplified reading level — with culturally sensitive content, audio and visual supplementary aids — to address the issue of health literacy, which represents one of the greatest barriers to access for underserved populations.
Health plans can also use the Babyscripts platform to keep their members updated about availability of and eligibility for social services or programs. As a tool that members are already using to keep track of their pregnancy journey, Babyscripts provides a better opportunity to get important information in front of busy moms; instead of getting lost in a proliferation of apps or patient portals, or forgotten in the stress of an in-person appointment with a limited timeframe.
Provide hybrid solutions that leverage remote technologies
The remote patient monitoring arm of Babyscripts is another way to equalize care delivery. For myriad reasons, from lack of transportation or time off from work to distrust of the healthcare system, Medicaid recipients are more likely to delay or forego care than patients who receive health insurance through their employer. Remote patient monitoring can reach those members and improve their quality of care, strengthening trust in the health system. Babyscripts’ trigger alert system is not subject to biases of human interpretation, ensuring an equitable response to risk situations.
Recently, one of our health plan partners included the Babyscripts solution as a key piece of their proposal to improve maternal outcomes for the Louisiana Medicaid populations. The health plan listed Babyscripts’ remote monitoring under specific activities to promote birth equity, as well as among their proposed strategies and interventions to address global aims for population health: including reducing maternal mortality, improving blood pressure management for pregnant patients, and reducing racial disparities. The health plan was awarded the contract.
To understand more about how Babyscripts can promote equitable care delivery for your pregnant members or patients, reach out to info@babyscripts.com.
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