UnitedHealthcare's Baby Blocks Helps Expectant Mothers in Kansas Deliver Healthy Babies

DODGE CITY, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Expectant mothers who enroll in UnitedHealthcare Community Plan's Baby Blocks® interactive incentive program receive better pre- and postnatal care, keep healthy-baby appointments and maintain healthy behaviors through their pregnancies, as well as deliver healthy babies.

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(L-R) Jeff and Grace Wright speak with Geovannie Gone with UnitedHealthcare at the Community Baby Shower hosted by UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Kansas at the Western Plains Medical Complex in Dodge City. At the baby shower, parents were able get answers to their questions about their pregnancy and receive tips for taking care of their babies, including information on prenatal and postpartum care, and child-care safety. Attendees also received information about UnitedHealthcare's Healthy First Steps case management program and Baby Blocks, a free online wellness-incentive program (Photo: Craig Hacker).

Baby Blocks helps manage doctor visits and other baby care during pregnancy and the first two years of their baby's life. The interactive tool is available to women covered by UnitedHealthcare Community Plan in 14 states, including Kansas. Expectant moms receive incentives for completing prenatal, postpartum and healthy-baby appointments. Users can access Baby Blocks via the app on their iPhones and Android smartphones.

"We have received much positive feedback from moms and moms-to-be using UnitedHealthcare's Baby Blocks," said Tim Spilker, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Kansas. "This is a fun and easy-to-use tool that expectant moms and new moms can use to help find maternity coaches, schedule appointment reminders and receive health tips that give mothers the opportunity to improve their health and the health of their babies."

In Kansas, the infant mortality rate is more than 6 per 1,000 live births, ranking the state 25^th, according to United Health Foundation's 2014 America's Heath Rankings® report. And more than 7 percent of babies weigh less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces). Baby Blocks can help increase safe and healthy pregnancies and deliveries. Since its launch less than a year ago in Kansas, more than 54 percent of eligible women have enrolled, and 1,487 babies have been born.

The program enables users to receive email appointment alerts and wellness-related text messages, connect directly with maternity nurses and earn rewards for keeping the appointments. Rewards include gift cards to retail outlets, and maternity-related items such as teething rings, diaper bags, thermometers and other items.

UnitedHealthcare offers health benefits, including employer-sponsored, Medicare and Medicaid health plans, to nearly 540,000 people in Kansas and partners with more than 14,000 care providers and 158 hospitals across the state.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 850,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group UNH, a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.

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