Rethinking maternity care to close gaps and improve outcomes

There’s a clear path to better maternity outcomes in the U.S. and it starts with connecting care across a woman’s full health journey. The opportunity is significant. In 2025, nearly 1 in 10 babies were born prematurely, contributing to the nation’s D+ grade from the March of Dimes for the fourth consecutive year.¹

These outcomes reflect a system where women’s health care is often episodic, missing critical windows before conception, during postpartum recovery, and across life stages. This fragmentation drives avoidable costs, inequities, and quality gaps.

The case against fragmented care

Most women’s health programs compress support into a narrow window around fertility and pregnancy, addressing only a fraction of health needs. 

In reality, women’s health spans prevention, chronic disease management, and lifelong metabolic and cardiovascular health. Pregnancy complications themselves are predictors of future conditions such as hypertension and heart disease.

When care is fragmented, the consequences are measurable:

  • Missed identification: Conditions like hypertension and diabetes, as well as mental health concerns go unmanaged until complications arise.
  • High costs: NICU admissions average $50,000–$150,000 per infant², and avoidable C-sections add further expense.
  • Unequal access: Rural, low-income, and Medicaid populations face inconsistent or culturally mismatched care.
  • Lower quality metrics: Maternal health outcomes influence HEDIS scores and Star Ratings, affecting plan performance.

A life-stage approach to women’s health

Evidence increasingly shows that continuous support across a woman’s health journey improves outcomes, reduces costs, and promotes equity.

All life stages are connected and support should reflect that continuity:

  • Preventive and general health: Health assessments, education, tracking tools, and tailored insights to optimize overall wellness
  • Pregnancy: Symptom monitoring, visit reminders, and early detection of gestational conditions to move the needle on maternal health outcomes
  • Postpartum: Personalized recovery modes, mental health screening, breastfeeding support, and condition management for better outcomes
  • Menopause: Trend analysis and personalized insights on cycle changes, mood, and symptoms to support multiple needs

Digital platforms like Ovia Health by Labcorp make this model operationally achievable by enabling continuous engagement and generating real-time member and population-level insights. These data signals help health plans intervene earlier—before high-cost events occur—while complementing provider care.

Demonstrated impact

Plans using Ovia report measurable improvements:

  • Up to 54% reduction in preterm deliveries*
  • Up to 24% reduction in C-sections*
  • Up to 14% reduction in preeclampsia*
  • Up to 54% reduction in NICU stays*

For a health plan managing thousands of pregnancies annually, these outcomes can translate to millions in avoided costs.

A playbook for health plans

Preventive care often goes unnoticed but it’s where plans win or lose. The real opportunity is before risk shows up. Health plans should:

  • Engage earlier: Don’t wait for claims-based triggers
  • Support longitudinally: Preconception → prenatal → postpartum→ perimenopause/menopause
  • Sustain engagement: Consistent touchpoints 
  • Measure trends, not single events: Track trajectory over time and help members build individual body literacy to understand their normal

Looking ahead

When women are supported before a crisis occurs and have trusted resources that meet them where they are, outcomes improve, costs decline, and trust grows. Addressing maternal health in America requires more than point solutions. It requires a continuous approach to women’s health across the life course.

Investing in preventive, connected women’s healthcare is a strategic opportunity for health plans to strengthen maternal outcomes, improve quality performance, and deliver better member experiences.

References

  1. March of Dimes. US Earns D+ for Fourth Year in March of Dimes 2025 Report Card. November 17, 2025.
  2. Behrman RE, ed. Preterm Birth: Causes, Consequences, and Prevention. National Academies Press; 2007.

*Note that this/these outcome(s) reflect(s) the greatest improvement experienced by a single client for this/these clinical condition area(s). Other clients experienced different outcomes in this/these clinical area(s). Actual results may vary based upon initial prevalence rate and engagement rates.