WellCare Launches Mobile Phone Program to Support New Mothers in Nebraska
"Baby's First" Initiative Connects Parents to Early Childhood Wellness Resources
LINCOLN, Neb. and TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- WellCare of Nebraska, a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), announced today the launch of its unique "Baby's First" text messaging program for new mothers that provides immediate access to baby and postpartum health and wellness information. According to a recent survey by Google, new and expecting parents perform twice as many Internet searches as non-parents. Due to this demand for information, this platform now provides resources directly to users when they need it most.
WellCare is the only Medicaid plan in Nebraska to offer this innovative text messaging and cloud-based initiative, which is available at no cost to all new mothers in Nebraska to assist them from birth to 15 months postpartum. This mobile resource is made possible through a partnership between WellCare and GoMo Health.
With resources delivered via mobile phone, the "Baby's First" program provides new mothers interactive support including connections to videos, questionnaires, resources, and rich content focused on child-rearing best practices such as child development and nurturing, daily care, vaccinations and wellness visit reminders. These resources cover topics like breastfeeding, home safety, nutrition, developmental milestones, balancing the needs of a new baby with siblings as well as other family members, and more.
"Many new parents are overwhelmed due to all the changes a new baby brings, which can lead to questions regarding a baby's health like 'is this normal' or 'what do I do,'" said Dr. Stephen Lazoritz, medical director at WellCare of Nebraska. "This program will provide our members as well as the community answers to help give their babies the best possible start in life and to support good health."
New mothers can sign up by texting BABY1 to 52046. They will then receive one to six text messages per week. By providing convenient healthy living and wellness support, the program aims to promote better health outcomes for participating mothers and their babies.
"For the 'Baby's First' program, GoMo Health worked closely with the WellCare team to develop a state-of-the-art interactive program delivered via our Personal Concierge, integrated with the most up-to-date post-partum educational content for new parents," said Alan Stern, vice president of health care solutions at GoMo Health. "This program will provide timely guidance for new parents while helping WellCare to build long-term relationships statewide."
As of Sept. 30, 2017, WellCare of Nebraska serves approximately 86,000 members in Nebraska, including 79,000 Medicaid members and 7,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members.
About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. The company serves approximately 4.3 million members nationwide as of Sept. 30, 2017. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.
About GoMo Health
GoMo Health is a leader in population health management and patient engagement solutions that support the continuum of care, improved patient satisfaction and MACRA incentive-based reimbursements. GoMo Health Concierge Care personalizes patient interactions using our proprietary science, Behavioral Rx, The Science of Population Health, building trust and credibility to motivate higher levels of reciprocity and actions. In partnership with health care organizations worldwide, GoMo Health delivers a highly scalable and cost-effective solution for the management of high-risk, chronic, and complex conditions, enabling better self-management, healthy decision making, and improved outcomes. To learn more, visit https://gomohealth.com.
SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
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