Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan offers integrated family building, maternity care program to support different paths to parenthood, improve clinical outcomes

Maven Clinic guides members from family planning and pregnancy through postpartum and early parenting

DETROIT, Aug. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network will offer a new, comprehensive family building and maternity support solution for 2023 open enrollment. It includes a personalized digital care app to help guide members on their journey through family planning, including different paths to parenthood, pregnancy, postpartum and pediatrics. In partnership with Maven Clinic, a comprehensive digital family health platform, members will get access to support throughout the entire journey from family building and pregnancy through postpartum and early parenting. The program will help Blue Cross address gaps in care around maternity care and family health and improve clinical outcomes for parents and babies.

Family planning, pregnancy and parenthood can be difficult to navigate, especially for first-time parents. This solution with Maven serves as an extension of the member's fertility and maternity benefits and coverage providing supplemental support and education in between a member's regularly scheduled, in-person prenatal and postpartum appointments, when it's often needed most. Delivering one-on-one support from a Care Advocate who can address questions and concerns 24/7 and help members find high-quality, in-network providers, the program also offers virtual clinical support from more than 30 specialty providers including obstetricians, pediatricians, lactation consultants, pediatric sleep coaches and psychologists available within 30 minutes.

"Supporting new parents is more important than ever when it comes to not only maintaining healthy families, but ensuring a strong and diverse workforce for employers," said Aji Abraham, senior vice president of Health Plan Business Innovation and Market Solutions at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. "We know there's an urgent need for easier access to support services and health care providers to improve maternal and infant outcomes, while also helping parents return to the workforce postpartum. We're confident this partnership will help us address these challenges while supporting Michigan families and those of our customers across the country through every step of this exciting stage of their lives."

Offering support for each stage of the journey, three customized programs are provided within the platform including Family Building, Maternity, and Parenting and Pediatrics. The Family Building program includes resources pertaining to fertility treatment, preconception care, egg freezing, and adoption and surrogacy. Maternity is a 12-month pregnancy program spanning prenatal and postpartum resources, NICU support and high-risk pregnancy management. Lastly, the Parenting and Pediatrics program is geared toward parents with children 1-10 years of age providing pediatric care, parent coaching, special needs support and childcare navigation. The Maternity program also includes a partner track program for the covered spouse at no additional cost.

"We are thrilled to partner with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan to increase access to care, drive equity in the patient experience, and improve clinical outcomes across fertility, maternity, and all family journeys," said Kate Ryder, founder and CEO of Maven Clinic. "Through our partnership, fully-insured employers gain Maven Maternity, and self-insured employers can purchase any combination of the three programs that best fit their company needs to reduce healthcare costs and improve talent retention."

In addition to the three core programs, a reimbursement tool, Maven Wallet, is available to pair with the Family Building program. Maven Wallet makes it easy for self-funded employers to reimburse employees for adoption and surrogacy expenses as decided by the employer.

Among users of the Maven app on average, there has been a 20 percent lower incidence of c-sections, 28 percent lower NICU admissions and 28 percent of users reported they were better able to manage their anxiety or depression. In addition, some employers have seen a 90 percent return-to-work rate far above the 57 percent national average. To learn more about the Family Building and Maternity Support Solution, visit https://www.bcbsm.com/employers/improved-care/family-building/ for additional details.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit mutual insurance company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BCBSM provides health benefits to more than 4.7 million members residing in Michigan in addition to employees of Michigan-headquartered companies residing outside the state. The company has been committed to delivering affordable health care products through a broad variety of plans for businesses, individuals and seniors for more than 80 years. Beyond health care coverage, BCBSM supports impactful community initiatives and provides leadership in improving health care. For more information, visit bcbsm.com and MiBluesPerspectives.com.

Maven is the largest virtual clinic for women's and family health, offering continuous, holistic care for fertility, pregnancy and parenting. Maven's award-winning digital programs are trusted by leading employers and health plans to reduce costs and drive better health outcomes for both parents and children. Founded in 2014 by CEO Kate Ryder, Maven has been recognized as Fast Company's #1 Most Innovative Health Company and been named a CNBC Disruptor 50. Maven has raised more than $200 million in funding from leading investors including Sequoia, Oak HC/FT, Dragoneer Investment Group and Lux Capital. To learn more about how Maven is reimagining life's most critical healthcare moment, visit us at mavenclinic.com.

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan