EHN 2021-22HealthConnectAnnualReport 10FNL - Flipbook - Page 12
Maternity
Enhancing member experience in the moments that matter most.
Obstetrics and Maternity Care are among the most
utilized services for our Health Connect members,
with over 533 pregnancies over the past 24 months.
We are seeing a significant increase in pregnancy
rates coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic. In
2020, the plan had 17.9 pregnancies per thousand
members. In 2021, there were 26.57. In 2022, that
number is 24.63 per thousand. If people were
reluctant to have babies in 2020, it seems that
reluctance has dissipated. Welcoming a new family
member is a monumental experience, which is why,
together, we are focused on delivering exceptional
maternity and childbirth care for the Health
Connect families.
New benefits in 2021
A doula to support the mother
Starting on January 1, 2021, Premera and Microsoft
simplified the paperwork for maternity care with
the new Maternity Bundle. Microsoft members
enrolled on the Health Connect Plan pay a single
$500 copay for routine maternity care, including
professional prenatal and delivery care. This new
benefit is available to employees, their enrolled
spouses/domestic partners, and eligible dependent
children. The Health Connect birth benefit covers
hospital care, alternative birthing center, and
at-home birth. It also includes prenatal testing,
care for miscarriages and terminations, male
circumcision, and one postpartum home visit.
Additionally, the plan also now covers $1,000 for a
birth and postpartum doula. Researchers have found
that expectant mothers paired with a doula have
better outcomes for mothers and babies. Mothers
are less likely to have a C-section, and babies are less
likely to be born prematurely or be of low birthweight.
A doula’s primary focus is on the needs of the mother,
offering education, support, and advocacy.1
“There’s a lot of information available
on the internet; it’s just not
comprehensive. When you’re
bringing a human into the
world, even though we have
been doing it for a millennia,
it’s probably best to get as
much information as we offer.”
JOY CAMPBELL,
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER,
OVERLAKE MEDICAL CENTER & CLINICS
10
EASTSIDE HEALTH NETWORK • HEALTH CONNECT