Sage Growth Partners’ survey of 50 health plan leaders and 300 recently pregnant women as well as their caregivers reveals the communication chasm between health plans and their members — and how it leaves new mothers feeling woefully unprepared. Well over half of these women (56%) shared that they don’t fully understand their care plans. Their health plans aren’t surprised: 58% believe that members understand their maternity and postpartum coverage only somewhat well.
But that’s where member-health plan alignment ends — and where the real problems begin. The impact of this disconnect is amplified by even more inconsistencies: between health plan intent and actual investment and solutions that are reactive versus upstream.
Luckily, most plan leaders agree on one thing: that care management is critical to bridge these gaps and to improve not only member engagement but outcomes.
Read the report to learn:
- What benefits new mothers are most confused about and why
- The gap between the quantity and quality of communication received and
member-health plan perceptions - Why health plan financial pressures create inconsistent member
engagement priorities - How care management and digital tools can improve engagement and
outcomes - And more
Key Findings
56%
of new mothers report at least some level of confusion about their health plans and risks during pregnancy
36%
did not always receive information that was in their preferred language or that reflected their culture
41%
of new moms felt less than fully confident taking their babies home from the hospital — even with the resources their health plans provided — and their quality-of-care ratings dropped as their maternal health journey progressed
68%
of health plan leaders rank improving member engagement and navigation as their top maternal/NICU priority over the next two years
42%
identify member engagement as a leading priority overall, placing it far behind such priorities as member outcomes and quality performance
A Note About This Sage Growth Partners Maternal Health Report Series
This is the second report in a three-part series based on our comprehensive survey findings, The State of Maternal & NICU Care 2026: Insights from Plans and
Patients.
