Blue Cross to launch new family building and maternity support solution

As you may have read in the October Record, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are launching a new family building and maternity support solution. It’s part of our ongoing commitment to improving maternal health and eliminating care disparities.

We’re working with Maven, an independent company, to provide a program that supports all backgrounds, lifestyles and phases of starting or growing a family. These services are expected to improve clinical outcomes for parents and babies.

Our Family Building and Maternity Support Solution combines Maven's comprehensive, personalized digital care navigation with our wide-ranging network and benefits to give members high-quality, clinically appropriate and convenient care, including benefit guidance using data-driven insights.

The new support solution includes three programs through the Maven app, which are available to our self-funded groups to purchase and implement, starting Jan. 1, 2023:

• Family Building program — Provides support and information for different paths to parenthood, such as fertility treatments, intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization and egg freezing, as well as surrogacy and adoption. In addition, Maven Wallet is an optional add-on to the Family Building program. It enables self-funded groups to help their employees with reimbursement of adoption and surrogacy costs.

• Maternity program — Offers support during pregnancy and for three months postpartum. The program includes support for prenatal and postpartum care, high-risk pregnancy and care within a neonatal intensive care unit. In addition to self-funded groups, this program will also be available to members who have Blue Cross and BCN commercial fully insured group plans, as well as those who have individual coverage.

• Parenting & Pediatrics program — Supports parents as they raise their children from ages 1 to 10. The program includes support for pediatric care, parent coaching, special needs and child care navigation.

Each of the programs includes access to:

• A dedicated care advocate, who is matched to the member and will provide 24/7, personalized, one-on-one care and benefits navigation, answer questions about the member’s pregnancy and postpartum journey, recommend virtual coaches for specific needs and refer members to high-quality, in-network health care providers.

• Video appointments with top-rated coaches from more than 30 clinical specialties, providing personalized and culturally competent care and available 24/7. Coaches include OB-GYNs, mental health specialists, lactation consultants, nutritionists and sleep coaches. Coaching is available in more than 35 languages.

• Personalized resources, including articles and other content related to prenatal health, postpartum depression and how to return to work with more confidence. Resources also include classes led by coaches and community forums so members can connect with others on similar journeys.

Fertility and maternity benefits
These programs won’t change your patients’ current fertility and maternity benefits or replace their health care providers or coverage. Rather, they provide supplemental support and education between regularly scheduled, in-person appointments when support is often needed most.

Members who don’t have access to this support solution can visit bcbsm.com/familybuilding for guidance on starting or growing a family. We’ll provide additional information about how we’re providing family building and maternal support programs in future issues of our provider newsletters.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.