Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Expands Philips Avent Pregnancy+ Program; Nearly 80% of Users Say App Has Helped Them Learn More About Locally Available Maternal Health Resources

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12/14/2023 - 09:00 AM

Program reaches 12,000 Medicaid-eligible families
Michigan-specific content viewed over 850,000 times in the first year
Michigan expanding access to premium app content including physical and mental health, and Medicaid eligibility reminders

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & LANSING, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Medicaid-eligible Michigan families will now be able to access new and premium content in the Philips Avent Pregnancy+ mobile app, as the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has extended its contract with Royal Philips, (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) a global leader in health technology.

Availability of the app, which is funded through Governor Whitmer’s Healthy Moms Healthy Babies Initiative, is designed to improve access to care by helping to support and educate families about maternal and infant health and connect Michiganders to pregnancy-related social services. In the past 12 months, Pregnancy+ has reached more than 32,000 Michigan families, with 12,600 enrolled in or eligible for Medicaid, and 8,900 engaging with Michigan-specific content within the Pregnancy+ app. In addition, close to 1,000 Medicaid-eligible individuals were connected to Michigan's evidence-based home visiting programs through the app, which has been shown to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. This number is increasing every day.

An analysis of the program’s first 12 months through a user survey illustrates the value delivered to Michigan residents. Almost 80% of users that participated in the survey say the app has helped them become more aware of the resources available to them in Michigan. Furthermore, 50% of the respondents have made use of one or more of these state or local resources after learning about them in the Pregnancy+ app, with over half saying they are also planning to use these resources at a later time.

“If you’re pregnant and live in Michigan, we want to ensure you get the best care possible,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “The Pregnancy+ application helps connect families to resources, programs, and important educational information. We can now reach even more people and further support them as they navigate pregnancies.”

Through Pregnancy+, users are directed to resources such as home visiting programs, breastfeeding education, tobacco quit programs, vaccination information, and safe sleep information.

Soon, Michigan Medicaid-eligible app users will also have premium content access, which includes audio/video evidence-based courses created by experts in the areas of mental health, nutrition, yoga, finance, and other important topics for physical and mental health. Importantly, the app is also helping raise awareness about Medicaid renewals so eligible families can reapply for Medicaid in a timely manner to help maintain coverage. To further encourage use, Philips will create flyers and videos to educate home visiting providers about the benefits of the Pregnancy+ app and how to utilize it during their visits with families.

"Leaders in Michigan are taking tremendous steps to demonstrate the important role that public-private partnerships can make to improve the U.S. maternal mortality crisis and create a more equitable health system,” said Dana Medema, Head of Personal Health, Philips North America. “By leveraging our Philips Avent Pregnancy+ app – which is already in the hands of many Michigan residents – to make data driven decisions, we can provide families with needed tools and resources. Through this partnership, Michigan is setting the bar in advancing maternal and infant health during pregnancy and afterward."

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2022 sales of EUR 17.8 billion and employs approximately 70,700 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.