Boston is prioritizing maternal health in new partnership with Ovia Health

Creating a more inclusive workplace for women and families has become an unavoidable topic of conversation, and Ovia Health is out to help an entire community enact change.

The family health benefits platform recently announced a partnership with the city of Boston, in collaboration with Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts, to provide comprehensive fertility, maternity and family health benefits to municipal employees, according to a press release.

Boston’s 15,000 government employees who are currently enrolled in the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts plan will now have access to Ovia’s suite of family health resources, including personalized clinical pathways, on-demand digital health coaching, return-to-work training and other programs designed to help employees with their individual family needs.

Read more: New moms need better maternity leave policies

“We're looking to help address the gaps in care that may be exacerbated by the onset of the pandemic, as well as social determinants of care, and help people understand what resources are available to them,” says Gina Nebesar, cofounder and chief product officer at Ovia. “Whether getting pregnant or returning to work after having a baby, often many of our members are just looking to understand their bodies and their family's care better.”

Maternal and family planning benefits have been an area of growing concern for employers, especially as companies work to retain female talent and attract the women workers who were pushed out of the workforce as a result of the pandemic. But despite recognizing the need for more expansive benefits, there is still a long way to go.

Fertility benefits that include IVF treatments are offered by just 19% of employers according to the Society for Human Resource Management. Less than half of employers offer reimbursement for adoption, according to a recent study by Willis Towers Watson; that number drops to 9% if a couple opts for surrogacy. Maternity leave is just as discouraging — among 41 of the richest nations, the U.S. is the only country that does not have a mandated paid leave program for new parents.

Read more:Employees need more than IVF to start a family

“Like any other employer, Boston was faced with the challenges of supporting working parents throughout the pandemic,” Nebesar says. “They are also facing mental health challenges and behavioral health challenges and are looking to support their employees through digital health solutions that engage them in their homes and their communities. We're a Boston-based organization, so it's very rewarding to be able to support the employees of the city that has supported us.”