UnitedHealthcare’s Baby Blocks®, a proven mobile, interactive incentive program helping pregnant women and new parents with prenatal and well-baby care, is now available to expectant moms and new parents enrolled in UnitedHealthcare’s employer-sponsored plans. Self-insured companies with more than 5,000 employees can now offer Baby Blocks to their employees.

UnitedHealthcare plan participants access this screen within the Baby Blocks apps to register for th ...

UnitedHealthcare plan participants access this screen within the Baby Blocks apps to register for the program (Photo: UnitedHealthcare).

Women who enroll in Baby Blocks can earn rewards for completing prenatal, postpartum and healthy-baby appointments. Users access interactive “baby blocks” via the free mobile web app on their iPhone® and Android® smartphones that shows their prenatal visits, and opportunities to earn rewards for following a prenatal and postnatal visit schedule.

Baby Blocks 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.

A similar version of Baby Blocks has been available in 14 states since 2011 for women and babies eligible for Medicaid. Since then, more than 25,000 women have enrolled in the program.

“I’m a brand new mom, and I appreciate having appointment reminders and so much important information at my fingertips,” said Jacki Grossman, UnitedHealthcare employee in Long Island, N.Y., who has enrolled in the program. “Baby Blocks has so many resources that help new mothers and their babies get and stay healthy.”

More than 8 percent of the babies born nationwide last year were considered low birth weight, and premature births before 37 weeks of pregnancy account for 35 percent of all infant deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“UnitedHealthcare’s Baby Blocks is an innovative wellness tool for expectant moms to help their babies have the best possible start in life,” said Sam Ho, M.D., chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare. “Baby Blocks provides incentives that reinforce healthy behaviors and offers access to maternity coaches, giving new mothers and expectant mothers the opportunity to improve their health and the health of their babies.”

Baby Blocks features include:

  • text messages featuring wellness tips based on the mother’s due date or the child’s birthdate;
  • educational emails for moms-to-be about what they can expect at each visit to their prenatal health care provider;
  • direct access to a maternity nurse from the app enabling expectant moms to ask questions and obtain additional support, and
  • ongoing support, including appointment reminders, during the newborn’s first 24 months.

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 800,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. Globally, UnitedHealthcare serves 45 million people in health benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.

Click here to subscribe to Mobile Alerts for UnitedHealth Group.