Medical device company Aeroflow Health will now offer medical nutrition therapy nationwide to UnitedHealthcare members who are pregnant and postpartum or with chronic conditions.
The company is combining telehealth services with its devices, such as breast pumps, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines for sleep apnea, to bring physiologic data into nutrition care. The virtual medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is available to patients enrolled in commercial plans, Medicare and select Medicaid plans.
The companies expect nearly 20% of engaged UnitedHealthcare members to benefit from the additional offering, and Aeroflow will engage members most likely to benefit. Aeroflow touts that, as UnitedHealthcare’s primary supplier of breast pumps, its MNT program is likely to engage half of its members’ pregnancies.
The individualized programs will address medical history, sleep, weight goals, stress, hydration and physical activity, among other things.
The program will feature a maternal health path and a chronic conditions path. The maternal health personalization will include trimester-specific education, breastfeeding and pumping preparation, nutrition for common pregnancy symptoms and postpartum recovery and lactation support.
The chronic condition pathway will include condition-specific care pathways and classes. Amanda Minimi, vice president of health solution marketing and operations at Aeroflow Health, told Fierce Healthcare that a typical diabetes pathway begins with a one-on-one assessment and enrollment in targeted Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) group classes.
When appropriate, the member may also receive individualized Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) to work toward attainable goals. Aeroflow also reports results back to the plan.
Aeroflow’s MNT is digital-first. Licensed dieticians see patients via telehealth and support them in between visits with asynchronous education and messaging. With a decade's worth of data on UHC members from providing medical devices to members, Aeroflow can mine insights from members’ medical history to recommend MNT or other chronic condition support.
“We are eager to join forces with UnitedHealthcare to make personalized nutrition care more accessible for patients across the country. Nutrition has the power to transform lives, yet access to credible dietitians and nutrition support remains out of reach for many communities,” Minimi said in a statement. “Partnering with UnitedHealthcare allows us to flip that script by meeting patients where they are. We understand that every patient has a unique health story shaped by a combination of lifestyle and genetic factors. Aeroflow’s approach is guided by a holistic view of wellness to help make preventative care more attainable and capable of driving long-lasting health outcomes.”