Combining in-person and virtual women’s care for a seamless maternity journey
The best care doesn't force patients to choose between virtual and in-person providers–it combines them. By bridging the gaps between in-person visits, combining in-person and virtual providers makes care more accessible across every life stage while driving lower costs for health plans and employers.
Why this care shift starts with women
Women interact with the healthcare system more frequently and navigate more complex milestones and stages of life than any other population. Their care spans fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and (peri)menopause, as well as chronic conditions, mental health, and pediatric care for their families.
This journey extends over months and years, long stretches often pass between in-person appointments. Pomelo fills those gaps with continuous clinical support. We answer questions before they become urgent care visits, offer 24/7 access when anxiety peaks, and deliver consistent, evidence-based guidance, whenever it’s needed.
Closing the gaps in prenatal and postpartum care
Prenatal questions, symptoms, and anxieties don't wait for scheduled appointments. A study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that nearly 75% of pregnant participants made at least one unscheduled OB visit–and 38% made two or more. Left unmanaged, these acute concerns frequently lead to costly, unnecessary ED visits.
This is where virtual care earns its place: not by replacing in-person visits for exams, imaging, and delivery, but by filling the gaps between them.
During pregnancy, virtual care backs up the OB's plan, triages everyday symptoms like nausea and fatigue, and monitors risk for conditions like hypertension and gestational diabetes.
Postpartum, traditional care typically drops off just as physical recovery, mental health needs, and infant care questions peak. Virtual care extends that support through up to a year after delivery, with clinical check-ins, lactation support, recovery guidance, and mental health screenings, keeping patients covered through one of the most vulnerable periods they'll face and reducing downstream claims.
Expanding access without compromising quality
Over 35% of U.S. counties have no birthing facility or OB clinician, and from 2020 to 2022, that gap was linked to more than 10,000 preterm births. Preterm and low-birthweight babies often require extended NICU stays, averaging $76,000 each.
Women in rural areas, underserved communities, and maternity care deserts face too few providers, long wait times, and distant clinics. That limited access drives avoidable complications and costs. Virtual care removes those barriers, catching issues earlier and reaching higher-risk members wherever they live.
A better experience with measurable results
When virtual and in-person care work together, everyone benefits. Patients get faster access to care, feel more confident navigating their health, and see improved outcomes. Health plans and employers see lower costs and better-supported members and employees.
Pomelo's model produces measurable results.
- 15% fewer NICU admissions1
- 34% reduction in total NICU costs1
- 21.3% reduction in maternal-infant ED spend for entire perinatal episode2
- 22% fewer preterm births1
How we do it:
Lever 1: Lower costs, fewer complications. Care from our fully employed OB, pediatrics, nursing, and IBCLC teams drives the results.
Lever 2: Always on. 24/7 access, a 5-minute median response time, and 42% of care delivered outside business hours3, so members get real-time help instead of going to the ED or going without.
Lever 3: Proactive risk management. Continuous monitoring of high-risk conditions like hypertension and diabetes helps prevent complications and preterm births before they escalate.
The path forward
The future of women's health isn't virtual or in-person. It's both. Integrated models close care gaps, reduce costs, and deliver what women have always needed: care that shows up when and where life happens.
See how integrated perinatal care reduces costs. Download the whitepaper.
Sources
- Association of Engagement in a Multispecialty Virtual Maternity Program with Improved Neonatal Outcomes and Reduced Costs (AAP)
- Virtual Maternity Program Association with Reduced Perinatal Emergency Department Costs in a Commercially-Insured Cohort (SMFM)
- Pomelo book of business analysis, 2025
