Care1st Health Plan Arizona, a WellCare Health Plans company, has unveiled a new telemedicine pilot program aimed at mothers-to-be and new mothers up to 12 months postpartum.
Through the initiative, Care1st’s Medicaid members can access Pacify Health‘s telehealth app, which allows women to live video chat with lactation consultants, nurses and nutritionists 24/7.
These specialists can sign on and off when they want, and Pacify users can then rate the encounter, according to Care1st state president Scott Cummings.
Moms can gain guidance on everything from their prenatal diet to breastfeeding to transitioning babies to solid foods. Providers can also give consultation on health issues babies may be facing, such as fevers, digestion issues and colic.
Additionally, the app sends regular notifications that include health and safety information geared toward mothers.
“We as a Medicaid plan are always looking at better ways to engage our members,” Cummings said in a recent phone interview. “We saw this as a modern, convenient and helpful topic area.”
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George Brandes, Pacify Health cofounder and COO, agreed.
“The Pacify mobile app will provide immediate, cutting-edge support for new moms at the touch of a button,” he said in a statement. “Care1st members will now have an unprecedented level of access to care, with video-enabled consults available even in the middle of the night and on weekends when there aren’t a lot of other options.”
Though the initiative is dubbed a “pilot,” Cummings said Care1st plans on keeping it running.
“We have all intentions of continuing it in Arizona, and based on results, expanding it throughout other WellCare states,” he noted.
Those results include gathering feedback from users. Care1st wants to know how the Pacify app helped the mothers, whether it relieved their stress, how convenient it was and what they felt was the greatest benefit.
Photo: asiseeit, Getty Images
