Florida Medicaid plan introduces Baby Blocks, a new healthy pregnancy app

The Florida state Medicaid plan has recently introduced Baby Blocks, a mobile web app from UnitedHealthcare that helps pregnant women and new parents with prenatal and well-baby care. Given the fact that approximately 84 percent of all adults in the U.S. today with an annual income below $30,000 per year own a mobile phone, mobile health programs are accessible and of significant interest among Medicaid beneficiaries, according to a recent study from the Pew Research Center.

Baby Block App features

Users receive email appointment alerts and wellness-related text messages, connect directly with maternity nurses and earn rewards for keeping the appointments, including incentives such as gift cards to retail outlets and maternity-related items such as teething rings, diaper bags, and thermometers. More than 1,300 Medicaid beneficiaries in Florida have completed the program since its introduction in 2013.

Nationwide trend

Other states and employers are introducing similar programs. The Wyoming state Medicaid program recently introduced a separate healthy pregnancy app, while private insurers are launching similar programs to help people enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans. UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health insurer with more than 3.1 million plan participants in Florida, began in November 2014 making a similar version available to large employers nationwide.

Cost savings

These programs not only help babies have the best possible start in life, they also have the potential to save taxpayers and employers significant money in maternity-related costs. Learn more about this innovative and healthy baby app at http://www.uhctoday.com/babyblocks/index.html