MedArrive, the leading mobile-integrated care management solution, today announced a partnership with Ouma Health, a total maternity telehealth services company, to bring comprehensive maternal-fetal care directly into the homes of vulnerable women on Medicaid. The collaboration aims to improve the health of pregnant women and their newborns, especially those at high risk, by adding a vital service to MedArrive’s growing ecosystem of specialty care providers that managed Medicaid health plans can leverage for members in their homes.
The MedArrive care management solution is a white-labeled program that connects pre-identified health plan members with MedArrive's field provider network of highly trained and skilled paramedics, EMTs and other healthcare professionals. These field providers visit the homes of enrolled members on behalf of their plan, providing a mix of in-home healthcare services, diagnostics, health assessments and other preventive health measures – while also addressing social care needs like transportation, mobility or nutrition assistance.
However, when higher-acuity care or care for a more specific population like pregnant women is needed, field providers can connect members with other services available in the MedArrive partner ecosystem, including physician-led telehealth support. By adding Ouma, MedArrive can now enable access to a longitudinal spectrum of maternal health services that include prenatal and postpartum (PPC) visits, behavioral health screenings and counseling including substance use disorders, perinatal risk stratification and mitigation counseling, chronic care management and remote patient monitoring (e.g. diabetes, hypertension), lactation support, and more. The joint solution is particularly important for underserved populations that are typically harder to engage like those that live in rural regions or poorer urban areas.
“MedArrive’s mission is to bring a comprehensive, all-in-one solution to health plans and providers that can bridge the care gap between virtual care and the home. Our network of field providers are connected to the communities they serve and are trusted by people that are often left behind in our healthcare system,” said MedArrive CEO and Co-founder Dan Trigub. “Ouma gives our platform the power to improve the health of one of the most important populations in America, mothers and newborns, and represents a natural extension of our specialty care support. With proven health outcomes already delivered by both organizations, we are excited about our joint opportunity to give healthcare organizations – and especially managed Medicaid plans – the ability to address the maternal health crisis in America while also reducing their costs.”
According to research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the distribution of maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) resources in the U.S. can vary greatly, resulting in extreme access barriers with MFM deserts existing all across the country. At the same time, the U.S. is facing rising maternal mortality rates, notably among minority women and especially when compared to other developed nations. Additionally, the U.S. also is seeing declining health outcomes in maternal and perinatal health, which were worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic. Combined, these issues underscore the need for comprehensive, hybrid-care solutions that can meet the needs of women from all kinds of areas and backgrounds.
“Ouma’s guiding mission is to give access to expert care to pregnant women irrespective of geography or tech literacy as we know the majority of complications are prevented with timely access to expert care.” said Sina Haeri, MD, MHSA, CEO and Co-Founder of Ouma. “The partnership with MedArrive allows us to jointly offer a hybrid care model that reaches into the patient’s home, removes the burden of taking time off, finding childcare, or absorbing the cost of transportation to see a maternity specialist. This, in turn, leads to improved compliance, a real life examination of SDoH, and a return to trustworthy relationship medicine, especially for the most vulnerable members of our communities who often feel neglected by health systems.”
Both MedArrive and Ouma have built impressive rosters of health plan customers in the Medicaid market and have shared values around addressing the many care gaps experienced by women and young children in vulnerable populations. Moving forward, the two organizations will work together to engage more plans who are interested in both improving health outcomes and lowering the costs of maternity care.
