For working women, finding a supportive employer goes beyond office culture. It’s about how that support extends past the 9-to-5 — and for most women, that support is dismal.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 71.2% of women with a child under the age of 18 participate in the labor force. Yet, as revealed through a study
Maven Clinic, a family-health startup, has been working to change the landscape of employee benefits since launching in 2014. Now, after a recent fundraise of $110 million, the organization is moving full speed ahead.
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EBN recently spoke with Sonia Millsom, Maven’s chief commercial officer, to learn about Maven’s big plans and what the company thinks the future of family benefits might look like.
You guys just raised a huge round of funding. What does that mean for the company, and what does it signal about how industries are starting to view family benefits?
When Maven started, the funding around women's health, in particular, was really difficult. People were seeing it as a niche market. But now, this recognition will enable us to further enrich what we've already built, which is a unique combination of care, navigation and specialized telehealth, creating a personalized experience for all of our patients and their families. We want to continue to invest in that personalization and continue to drive industry-leading outcomes from a clinical perspective for a fertility and maternity population.
Has it been challenging to pick up speed and gain a broader acceptance across industries?
With all of our HR buyers, there has been a lot going on: We are in the middle of a pandemic, and it's been incredibly challenging for them. The great news is, with COVID, people have really embraced digital health, as well as a more consumer-centric approach and on-demand access. Many issues we faced came to the forefront in terms of the changes that have taken place in healthcare.
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How does that impact your mission?
What we see is changing the whole dynamic, specifically around women's health. We are thinking about the beginning of starting a family as entry into the healthcare system. Beyond just reimbursement or network expense, it's about helping to support someone from the moment they think about getting pregnant or starting a family, all the way through the entire journey to fertility, parenting and pediatrics. We want to make sure that we can support that journey very holistically and provide not just the clinical aspects of care or financial aspects of care but also an emotional aspect of care. We can facilitate that for all families, even into Medicaid, where 50% of all births take place — I think it's a tremendous opportunity in the future.
Have you seen employees be more vocal about needing this kind of support from their employers?
As part of the Great Places to Work study, we saw 68% of millennials are looking for fertility benefits. We know that employers are looking for more information about how to help start families. We know that parenting, particularly through the pandemic, has been incredibly challenging. So employers are ensuring that they have all the resources, like telehealth or care advocates, to help employees navigate what they are looking for.
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What does it mean for Maven to offer support in a virtual space?
I think COVID brought forward the disparities and access to care. So much of that traditional support system — whether it be your in-person provider or even friends and family, where you get education or information — was eliminated. Because of our network, where 40% is BIPOC and speaks over three languages, we are able to provide access to a variety of individuals with the care that matters most to them. We have all seen the consumer’s need and demand about access — the ability to have 24/7 around-the-clock care will stay.
