MINNEAPOLIS – Citing studies that have shown that newborns delivered by elective C-sections prior to 39 weeks’ gestation are twice as likely to need intensive care, UnitedHealthcare has launched a campaign to discourage those procedures.
The insurer is reaching out to hospitals and obstetricians, sharing an analysis of claims data for mothers and their newborns that showed 48 percent of newborns admitted to neonatal intensive-care units had been delivered in scheduled C-sections, many before 39 weeks.
Such early C-sections are discouraged by the American College of Obstetricians (ACOG) and Gynecologists, the insurer noted in a news release, but medical research shows the greatest growth in the rate of C-sections is among women and their attending physicians who are opting for elective procedures, many before 39 weeks’ gestation.
A “growing body” of research also shows that babies delivered prior to 39 weeks’ gestation are twice as likely to end up in the NICU as babies born at 39 to 42 weeks, the insurer said.
More than 1.2 million C-sections are performed annually in the United States, at a cost of more than $14.6 billion per year, according to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. While some women need medical intervention due to fetal distress and other medical issues, more than half of all C-sections are medically unnecessary, according to the AHRQ.
In a recent pilot program in the Southwest, United shared claims data with doctors and hospitals showing a variation in NICU rates in connection with C-sections. In the first three months after that, United found a change in practice patterns and a 46-percent decrease in NICU admissions. The lower rates have held steady for five quarters since then, United said.
The insurer has also found that hospitals that have delivery protocols based on ACOG guidelines, along with review processes to ensure adherence or required approval by a review committee, typically have lower NICU admission rates.
“Reducing the overall number of elective Caesarean sections would significantly decrease health risks for mothers and their newborns,” said Dr. Tina Groat, national medical director of women’s health for UnitedHealthcare, in a news release.
“Following our work with select physicians and hospitals, we have seen a marked reduction in NICU admissions,” she added, “and we are confident that these evidence-based methods can make a positive impact in further reducing NICU admissions nationwide.”
Along with reaching out to providers, United is expanding its Healthy Pregnancy Owner’s Manual to help cover elective deliveries in more detail and warn women about the risks to mothers and their babies when they elect to have a C-section prior to 39 weeks.
The manual, available at www.healthy-pregnancy.com, also warns that inducing labor can make it likelier that a woman will need a C-section or experience other complications.
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) is a diversified health and well-being company based in Minneapolis, Minn. It offers a broad spectrum of products and services through six operating businesses – UnitedHealthcare, Ovations, AmeriChoice, Uniprise, Specialized Care Services and Ingenix – serving about 70 million individuals nationwide. Additional information is available at www.unitedhealthgroup.com.
