The payer has provided $280,000 in funding to an initiative that will focus on maternal hypertension and hemorrhage simulation training in 49 of the state’s hospitals, as well as remote monitoring capabilities for expectant mothers, an Aug. 4 news release said.
“It is unacceptable that Black women in the U.S. have at least twice the rate of severe maternal morbidity, and are at least three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related complications, compared to white women,” Keith Payet, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Tennessee, said in the news release. “We hope this new partnership is an important step toward addressing a leading cause of severe maternal morbidity and helps improve health outcomes in Tennessee.”
The state’s maternal mortality rate is among the worst in the nation, at 26 per 100,000 live births. Tennessee also ranks 45 among all 50 states for infant mortality, with 563 infant deaths since 2019, according to the statement.
The initiative is one of several UnitedHealthcare is launching to address maternal health issues in the U.S.
