Fixing The Maternal Health Crisis with Anu Sharma at Millie
May 23, 2024
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Anu Sharma, CEO of Millie, discusses reinventing maternal healthcare including bundled payments for personalized care, challenges in US maternity care, the importance of scale in healthcare, unique aspects of Millie, fundraising strategies, and the future of in-person, hybrid, and virtual healthcare.
Millie redefines maternity care with personalized, risk-based approaches.
Healthcare distribution, including insurance partnerships, is crucial for success.
Regional market selection influences viability and dynamics of healthcare models.
Deep dives
Challenges in Maternal Health
More than half of maternal deaths occur postpartum, with insufficient care during the first six weeks. Maternal mortality events are also significant during pregnancy. The current care model lacks comprehensive support and education, focusing mainly on clinical aspects.
Outdated Maternity Care Model
The maternity care model in the US has remained unchanged since World War II, mainly focusing on clinical visits to ensure everything is going well. Innovations have been limited, neglecting the holistic needs of patients during pregnancy and postpartum.
Innovative Care Approach by Millie
Millie aims to reinvent maternity care by personalizing care based on risk levels, leveraging midwifery care for low-risk pregnancies, and redesigning the patient experience. Utilizing a bundle payment model provides flexibility in care design and offers proactive, right-sized, and personalized maternity care to improve outcomes.
Innovative Care Models in Healthcare
There is potential for innovative care models in healthcare, especially in Medicaid, focusing on approaches like doula coverage, prenatal education, and community health workers. By aligning reimbursement structures with innovative care models, there is an opportunity to provide better care within the healthcare ecosystem. Market selection is crucial in healthcare, with regional markets having unique dynamics that influence the viability of partnerships and care models.
Challenges and Opportunities in Healthcare Distribution
Distribution channels in healthcare, such as insurance and employers, play a vital role in shaping the success of healthcare initiatives. Working with insurance companies and ensuring the presence of reimbursable codes are essential for sustainable healthcare models. Building strong teams, understanding market demand, and aligning with health system partners are key factors in navigating healthcare distribution effectively to deliver quality care.
Anu Sharma is the Co-founder and CEO of Millie, building a better care system from the inside out. Our conversation covers the existing maternal health system, how Millie is reinventing it, and how to succeed building a healthcare company.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(03:16) Problems in US maternity care
(13:21) Why insurance reimbursement drives healthcare
(16:11) How bundled care unlocks personalization
(18:48) From fiction writer to 20 years in healthcare
(24:22) Why consumers don’t act like consumers in healthcare
(26:09) The reason scale matters
(27:43) Bundled payments and new care design
(32:16) What make Millie unique
(35:58) Importance of picking regional markets in healthcare
(37:08) The two paths for insurance reimbursement
(41:08) Why distribution is the product in healthcare
(44:25) Opportunities in cash pay care
(48:28) How Anu fundraised without a product
(51:06) The future of in-person, hybrid, and virtual healthcare
(52:56) Building maternity clinics for $150k
