Cambia Health Solutions’ LifeMap Assurance Co. has partnered with Wildflower Health to launch a smartphone pregnancy app called LifeMap Due Date Plus.
The app is geared to expectant parents with short term disability coverage. Maternity care is the top short-term disability claim processed by LifeMap, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cambia. San Francisco-based Wildflower is one of its outside investments.
“Traditionally, it’s been marketed as something consumers can download or offered to health plan customers to engage members from a medical standpoint,” said Beth Andersen, LifeMap CEO. “We talked to Wildflower in terms of wouldn’t it be a great idea if we had a way to engage you when you become pregnant and provide a different value ad?”
Due Date Plus offers resources and identifies risks that could lead to complications. It offers pregnancy milestone tracking, health tips, symptoms monitoring and financial reminders, such as when to apply for disability benefits and add dependent coverage.
Wildflower launched a consumer only version in 2013, and operated that for a year to test the engagement model, while it they built the enterprise platform.
Then starting last February, it was piloted by Wyoming’s Medicaid program. Half of all births in Wyoming are to women on Medicaid.
“We wanted to try something new and more cutting edge in terms of increasing patient buy in and actively involving them in their health care,” said Dr. James Bush, the state’s medical director. “Pregnancy is a very teachable moment. Women are interested in learning more about it.”
Using the app, the Wyoming women can locate the closest public health clinic or other providers, find tobacco cessation programs and connect with a nurse hotline or resources for depression and weight gain during pregnancy. It also tells them what procedures are and aren’t covered by Medicaid.
Bush said while it’s too early to tell if the app has had a positive impact on birth outcomes, 650 women have used it so far, with 68 percent tracking their health milestones and 2,000 health issues logged.
“A web page is sort of static,” Bush said. “If you can put it on your phone and access when you want and where you want and customize it, it’s far more economical and effective than relying on a web page or nurse cold calling.”
The program launched in the iTunes and Google Play stores. There is no fee for LifeMap members.
Feb 11, 2015
Elizabeth Hayes
Staff Reporter-
Portland Business Journal