Pilot Program Targets Maternal Health Disparities Using Virtual Tracking

A new pilot program from Aetna Better of Maryland and Mae is looking to eliminate maternal health disparities through doula support and engagement tools.

According to Gayle Jordan-Randolph, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Aetna Better Health of Maryland, Black women are particularly affected by maternal health disparities. In recent years, maternal mortality rates in the US have been on the rise, leading to negative outcomes for Black women.

“Black women are three times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death, twice as likely to experience complications and 49% more likely to give birth prematurely compared to white women,” Jordan-Randolph said in a press release. 

In Maryland, doula services from a state-certified doula are a benefit for all Medicaid members throughout pregnancy and for a year post-partum.

Known as a specialist in providing Black women with maternal healthcare, Mae is a part of the Aetna Better Health Medicaid network. Through the operation of a new pilot program, the organizations intend to continue efforts to lessen inequities among Black women while improving health, mental health, and birth outcomes.

Mae plans to offer Aetna Better Health Medicaid members a community-led doula support model accompanied by an engagement platform to track various needs.

“Covering more than 40% of all births in the U.S., Medicaid has a long-term record of accomplishment in providing expectant mothers with high-quality health care and improving the safety of births. Our collaboration with Mae is another step in reducing mother and infant mortality among pregnant women — especially Black women,” stated Jordan-Randolph.

Launched by Mae’s CEO Maya Hardigan in 2021, the model aims to provide Black expectant mothers with whole-person care, consisting of pregnancy and postpartum resources to lessen disparities.

By working with Aetna Better Health of Maryland, Hardigan hopes for the program to assist a larger population.

“Existing disparities impact not only the birthing person, but their children, families and broader communities,” said Hardigan. “Our pilot with Aetna Better Health of Maryland allows us to scale our offering statewide to reduce unnecessary maternal morbidity and death across the state, while fundamentally redefining the experience of those we serve.”

Various efforts are underway to lessen maternal health disparities and improve patient outcomes using remote patient monitoring and other virtual care applications.

For example, in January, the state of Michigan began providing Medicaid-eligible families with access to the Philips Pregnancy+ mobile application.

Through this app, patients would have access to information regarding fetal growth and personalized support through resources such as 3D animated models of the fetus as well as diet and exercise recommendations.

Researchers noted that the expansion of access to the app occurred alongside the growth of poor maternal outcomes in the US, particularly among Black people.