Maven Clinic, a virtual clinic for women’s and family health, inked a partnership with Blue Shield of California to expand access to pregnancy and postpartum support.
The partnership, which began in January, opens up Maven’s virtual care platform for fertility, pregnancy and parenting to more than half of the plan’s total membership—to 2.4 million eligible members. More than 500 members enrolled in one day after being notified of their eligibility, the company said in an announcement. Since then, pregnant members’ most frequently booked virtual appointments are with doulas and childbirth educators as well as mental health providers, lactation consultants, OB-GYNs and physical therapists.
The launch comes amid delays in prenatal care during the pandemic, with many mothers experiencing worsening mental health and more than a third of Black mothers reporting experiencing racism during care in the past year.
“The way we care for new and expecting parents has not meaningfully changed in a century, even as we have seen worsening outcomes and rising costs,” Kate Ryder, founder and CEO of Maven Clinic, said in the announcement. “We are proud to partner with the innovative team at Blue Shield of California, which is committed to transforming the experience of building a family through accessible, whole-person support.”
The partnership is part of the plan’s Health Reimagined strategy, which was launched in 2020 with the goal of improving access to care. In February, the plan launched its Maternal Child Health Equity initiative to combat disparities in health among marginalized mothers and children.
“We are thrilled to provide this virtual maternity support to complement in-person care for Blue Shield of California members,” Susan Fleischman, M.D., chief medical officer at Blue Shield of California, said in the announcement. "There are many questions and concerns that arise during the different phases of pregnancy and Maven is there for our members, with a wealth of resources plus virtual appointments on-demand 24/7/365 from their smartphone or computer."