Nearly one in ten babies is born prematurely in the U.S. each year1. Along with low birth weight, preterm births are the second leading cause of death in newborns2.
Complications, like these, take an emotional toll on families. But there’s a financial strain, too. Medical costs for preterm births, including inpatient, outpatient and specialty nursery care, cost an average of $55,3933. This is four times greater than full-term births, especially in the first year4.
However, a maternal care program can help families prepare for a healthy pregnancy—and lower costs. The Meritain Health Maternity Management Program—through education and strategic interventions–helps prevent low birth weight and premature births. Our program has achieved rates in these categories about three percent below national averages.
Participating families can learn about:
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- Healthy diet and nutrition.
- Importance of tobacco and substance cessation.
- Medications and pregnancy.
- Important tests and screenings at each stage of the pregnancy.
- Importance of immunizations.
- And more!
We’ve published a whitepaper to help employers understand the full benefits of a maternal care program. It will guide you through program highlights, successes, cost savings, communication strategy and using incentives for better employee engagement.
Click here to download a copy.
Or simply contact your Meritain Health representative for more information on the Maternity Management Program.
1 https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pretermbirth.htm
2 https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/infantmortality.htm
3,4 https://www.marchofdimes.org/
