New Report: How Bridging WIC and Medicaid Programs Could Improve Maternal Health

More than 500 Medicaid-eligible birth parents participated in maternal health survey from Pacify Health.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Pacify Health, the leading provider of virtual, value-based maternal and pediatric care, is publishing a new report based on a national survey of more than 500 Medicaid-eligible birth parents. Parents were asked about how they engage with their Medicaid health plan, WIC programs and the healthcare system.

Results suggest that while Medicaid-eligible parents appreciate their health plan and trust their doctors for medical advice, WIC programs hold the key to influencing behavior.

"We see a tremendous opportunity to connect Medicaid and WIC at a local, state and national level to improve maternal health," said Pacify President Melanie Silverman. "These programs often serve the same population. Both could benefit from the trust members have in their Medicaid plan and the support and education they receive at WIC clinics."

According to survey results, at least half of respondents identified eating healthy food (52%) and accessing emotional support (50%) as a challenge during their pregnancy. But when asked whether their Medicaid health plan asked them about these challenges, most said no (60%). Most also reported that no one at their Medicaid health plan followed up to help them get care (59%).

The reverse is true for WIC. Most respondents said someone at their WIC clinic asked them about challenges they faced (58%) and 53% said someone at their WIC clinic followed up to help them.

Other key findings from the survey include:

• While 55% of respondents said they were extremely likely to recommend their Medicaid health plan to another pregnant parent, 76% of respondents said they were extremely likely to recommend WIC to another pregnant parent.
• 80% of respondents who participated in WIC said they were likely to participate in another service offered by the program, whereas 71% of respondents said they were either likely or very likely to use another service offered by their Medicaid health plan.
• 58% of respondents said they trusted their Medicaid health plan more than their WIC clinic for healthcare advice.

Download the full report for free here, or email questions to [email protected].

Pacify provides 24/7 infant feeding support to new and expecting parents. Pacify's nationwide network of IBCLCs and registered nurses help families within minutes, resulting in reduced costs and improved outcomes for clients across the public health sector such as WIC, Departments of Health, home visiting programs, managed care organizations, hospitals, non-profit organizations and employers. Learn more about Pacify by visiting their website: https://www.pacify.com/.

SOURCE Pacify Health