September 12, 2024 (SOMERVILLE, MA) – Mass General Brigham Health Plan today announced a new, customized pelvic health offering that expands its women’s health portfolio. The new program enhances coverage of pelvic health services and deepens support for underrepresented areas of women’s healthcare.
Nearly one in four women in the United States experiences a pelvic floor disorder, according to the National Library of Medicine. It can be prompted or exacerbated by common health journeys, such as pregnancy and menopause, and prevalent throughout a woman’s lifespan. At the same time, a lack of awareness combined with the time commitment of in-person care and stigma can act as deterrents to accessing care.
The pelvic health initiative enhances Mass General Brigham Health Plan’s coverage of pelvic health-related physical therapy with the offering of a convenient, fully personalized virtual exercise program, integrated with clinical guidance. Members can work one-on-one with pelvic health specialists that have a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. In conjunction with personalized treatment plans, a digitally-enabled sensor provides real-time feedback during exercises to improve pelvic floor function and reduce chronic pain.
“Increasing access to convenient pelvic health support builds on our commitment to meeting members where they are in any stage of life, particularly with stigmatized health experiences,” said Lisa Scarfo, M.D., Senior Medical Director, Mass General Brigham Health Plan. “We are thoughtfully growing our women’s health portfolio to respond to our members’ needs, support inclusive approaches, and raise awareness to normalize these conversations.
Subjects addressed by the women’s health portfolio comprise maternal health (including pregnancy, postpartum, and loss support), menopause, mental health, and now pelvic health, which all help to advance health equity. The data shows that:
- Improving maternal and newborn health is especially important to reducing health disparities. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the maternal mortality rate is three times higher for Black patients than White patients.
- Menopause, which affects 50 million women nationally, can come with physical, career, and economic impacts – which are more severe for women of color – as well as stigma. For example, one in five U.S. employees have left or considered leaving a job due to menopause symptoms. Eighteen percent of women avoided a promotion while undergoing menopause – a number that rises to 24 percent for Black women.
- Women face a variety of obstacles to accessing care for pelvic health disorders, which can also be driven by discrimination and health disparities. Overall, women wait an average of 6.5 years from the time they experience symptoms to seek treatment.
The women’s health portfolio builds on multi-million-dollar investments that have already been made by Mass General Brigham in community and maternal health.
These efforts enhance support for women’s health in Massachusetts, which has the best-performing health system for women overall according to a new report. The Commonwealth Fund’s 2024 State Scorecard on Women’s Health and Reproductive Care ranked Massachusetts among the top states nationwide based on health outcomes, as well as coverage, access, and affordability, and healthcare quality and prevention.
“Our commitment to women’s health reflects our legacy of going beyond traditional coverage to support whole-person care and builds on the excellence of women’s health initiatives in Massachusetts,” said Steven Tringale, President, Mass General Brigham Health Plan. “As part of an integrated healthcare system, we can bring a comprehensive focus to meet a wide variety of health needs for our members.”
The new pelvic health initiative will be available to fully-insured commercial members in September 2024.
About Mass General Brigham Health Plan
Mass General Brigham Health Plan serves commercial, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid members. For almost 40 years, Mass General Brigham Health Plan has been committed to delivering an exceptional member experience. As a member of Mass General Brigham, we are advancing innovative solutions through value-based care models that center on the health needs of our members and enable seamless and affordable care.
Mass General Brigham Health Plan ranked No. 1 in member satisfaction among commercial health plans in Massachusetts by J.D. Power, a global expert in consumer insights, for two years in a row. Visit jdpower.com/awards to learn more.
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