Lessons learned: Supporting Medicaid beneficiaries through digital health solutions 

Lesson 2: Medicaid populations want to use virtual care 

When it comes to the adoption of digital technology, the Medicaid population follows similar trends to those who are commercially insured. Studies estimate that Medicaid beneficiaries own smartphones at similar rates to their commercially-insured counterparts, with nearly 90% reporting that they have a smartphone. 

The high levels of technology adoption among the Medicaid population represent a powerful opportunity for health plans to use digital tools to improve care. Most Medicaid beneficiaries report that they are interested in using technology for a variety of health purposes, including connecting with a live health coach through an app or working with a virtual assistant to identify symptoms. 

At Maven, we see this trend play out: pregnant members who use Medicaid have 20+ touch points per month in the Maven platform*. 

Lesson 3: Both hyper-localization and scale are needed to meet the needs of Medicaid

When building out maternity care for Medicaid beneficiaries, both a hyper-localized and scalable approach is necessary to maximize impact. 

Each state is unique, with different laws and regulations surrounding their Medicaid services. Plans need to plug into community-based organizations (CBOs) to build trust among people who use Medicaid and drive better outcomes. CBOs are expert resources working closely with underserved communities, providing health plans with localized expertise and helping to deliver efficient, culturally-sensitive, and high-quality care. 

Maven localizes its services to Medicaid members through Care Advocates, who are educated in state-by-state Medicaid dynamics and work with every member to help them navigate to in-person care and resources. 

For example, almost 20% of Medicaid members on Maven report that they struggle with food insecurity*, compared to less than 2% of Commercial members on Maven. Maven’s Care Advocates work with trusted organizations in the member’s community to help them get the resources they need to feed their families, like food vouchers. 

The other necessary aspect driving impact on the Medicaid population is scale. Digital health can scale beyond local communities, allowing plans to better meet patient preferences and fill gaps in care. One area where this scale drives impact is through care matching, where people receive care from providers who share their same cultural background and lived experience. Care matching improves outcomes and increases treatment compliance, representing a powerful tool to better support Medicaid beneficiaries. By removing the boundaries of geography, digital health widens the specialist pool, making it easier to connect beneficiaries with the right provider based on their unique needs.

Lesson 4: Digital solutions can support redetermination efforts

With Congress unwinding continuous enrollment in Medicaid in March 2023, states are now once again responsible for managing Medicaid redetermination efforts. Accurate demographic information and consistent member communication are two essential components of redetermination that state Medicaid agencies and plans often struggle with.

Digital solutions can help support these efforts by ensuring that Medicaid agencies have accurate demographic data about their members to simplify the redetermination process.

Digital health also aids in member communication; for instance, Care Advocates can share information with members on renewing their paperwork in a timely manner, and proactively support members through the redetermination process.

The way forward for Medicaid plans

As Medicaid plans look to apply these lessons to their maternity care programs, Maven is here to help. As the leading women’s and family health company, Maven is uniquely positioned to help plans scale their maternity support to better address the needs of the Medicaid population. 

To learn more about how Maven can make a difference for your organization and your members, contact us today. 

*Source: Maven Medicaid book of business, 2023