Giving birth is expensive. A lot of times costly complications could be preventable or treated early, but mothers aren’t necessarily aware of the significance of certain, seemingly minor symptoms.
Insurance companies spend $18,329 on the average natural birth in the U.S., and that cost goes up for Caesarian sections, multiple births, pre-term deliveries, or other complications, according to Bloomberg.
Insurers could potentially save money if they knew exactly when a woman became pregnant and were aware of how the pregnancy was going up until birth. For this reason, apps have been designed not only to benefit providers but also to help women monitor their fertility cycles, pregnancy and general health during the process.
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A Boston-based company called Ovuline provides fertility and pregnancy apps, called Ovia Fertility and Ovia Pregnancy, that have been connected with the Massachusetts Blue Cross plan since February to provide women with helpful information.
Zaffre Investments, the venture capital arm of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, led a $3.25 million investment in Ovuline earlier this month. Blue Cross members who use the app can get personalized notices about their health plan’s benefits and information about diet, exercise, or other factors that affect maternal health. (Ovuline doesn’t share users’ data directly with insurers.)
Ovuline, which has had about 2 million users thus far, isn’t the only company providing such services, as Bloomberg pointed out:
Another app, called Due Date Plus, is working with health plans, including Aetna and the Wyoming state Medicaid program. The startup behind Due Date Plus signed a deal this month to market the app to Medicaid agencies across the country through Xerox, which has health-information technology contracts with 38 states. And Text4baby, supported by governments and private insurers, sends women text messages throughout their terms. The free service has been used by more than 850,000 women since 2010.
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These services are still relatively new — Ovuline’s apps launched in 2012 and 2013 — so the verdict is still out on how much they will help expecting mothers and how much money they will potentially save providers. But the concept seems solid.
Ovuline CEO Paris Wallace uses a couple of examples to demonstrate how it can work.
If pregnant women report back or shoulder pain, for example, Ovuline might tell them that their health plan covers pre-natal massages. Wallace says the system can also lower the risk of costly problems. If a woman reports rising blood pressure, dark urine, and a headache, the app recognizes the pattern as a sign of preeclampsia, a potentially serious complication. Ovuline doesn’t make a diagnosis, but the app prompts users to alert their medical providers about symptoms.
If pregnant women are healthier and less money is spent for their care, these apps seem like a win-win.
Photo: Flickr user Thomas Pompernigg
