The nine months of pregnancy are a flurry of emotions combined with a race to prepare for the new arrival. The last thing a growing family needs is to have to maneuver through maternity insurance coverage, a process that can be complex, stressful and costly.
MNPS has lifted that concern for employees. Pregnancy is just one type of care that has been reimagined as part of Vanderbilt Health’s innovative MyHealth Bundles program, a benefit offered under the Metro Nashville Public Schools Certificated Employee Health Plan.
MyHealth Bundles packages all services required for a specific health condition into a single “bundle,” and patients are connected with a navigator to guide them through the process.
This innovative approach eases much of the complexity, frustration and unnecessary expense often associated with health care.
For Cane Ridge High School psychology teacher Darcy Muller, the MyMaternityHealth Bundle offered relief. It helped support her pregnancy from the initial trimester through delivery and beyond. Muller enjoyed enhanced medical care and a personalized experience—and she spent nothing out of pocket.
“I did not have to worry about the cost of my prenatal care; instead, I could focus on getting my life ready for a new addition,” she says.
The bundle offered even more peace of mind by streamlining her care.
“I didn’t need to call my provider every time I had a question—I could just pick up the phone and talk to my patient navigator,” Muller says. “She was very responsive and always available.”
The program also boosted her confidence. When the first-time mother needed help with breastfeeding, her patient navigator connected her with lactation counseling. Muller says the MyMaternityHealth Bundle was a win from start to finish.
“My daughter is a toddler now, and I call her my ‘free’ baby,” Muller says. “Everyone at Vanderbilt—nurses, doctors, everyone—was amazing. I wish I could have remembered all of their names, because I would sit down and write each of these wonderful people a thank you note!”
