Babylist Enters the Healthcare Industry Following Its First Strategic Acquisition

Launch of Babylist Health helps parents get products covered by health insurance, building on the retail company’s decade+ helping people get everything they need for a new baby

OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Babylist, the leading vertical marketplace and commerce destination for baby, announced today the launch of Babylist Health. The dedicated health business empowers growing families with easier, more transparent access to health and wellness products during pregnancy and postpartum, as well as when caring for a new baby. At launch, Babylist Health improves the process of ordering a breast pump through health insurance. It will support millions of mothers in their breastfeeding journey and return to work after having a baby. The long-term vision is to expand with additional health products and health and wellness services.

This launch is the company’s first entry into the $3T U.S. healthcare industry. The expansion fits seamlessly into Babylist’s mission to help new and expecting parents get exactly what they need for their baby, building happier and healthier families. Over 1M expecting parents register with Babylist each year, giving the company an unmatched ability to connect with and earn trust from people in this life stage. This relationship sets the foundation for it to now enter this new vertical.

As part of the development process, Babylist made a strategic acquisition of a durable medical equipment supplier (DME) specializing in maternal health. The acquisition provided industry expertise and relationships that accelerated its entry into healthcare.

Babylist applied its user-centric engineering approach to create an experience that is clear, easy, and fast – with the average order taking only 5 minutes to complete. In contrast, the traditional process to get a breast pump through health insurance is often opaque (lacking the ability to price compare), limited (with minimal to no pump selections), multi-step (manual doctor prescriptions and insurance approvals), and not intuitive for expecting parents. Insurance verification alone can often take multiple days.

“There are many benefits to breastfeeding for both mom and baby, and pumping is often an essential part of that journey. But it’s not easy,” said Natalie Gordon, founder and CEO of Babylist. “The Affordable Care Act helped reduce cost barriers. The PUMP Act was recently expanded to include more workplace protections for breastfeeding employees. These laws are a start, but more is needed.”

Gordon continued: “Breastfeeding takes a lot of time, support, and often money. The challenges of breastfeeding have a huge impact on mothers, physically and mentally. Many of them don’t end up breastfeeding for as long as they planned. Women need more transparent and affordable access to the supplies and services that can help them reach their breastfeeding goals.”

Babylist offers at least one double-electric pump that can be ordered at no cost to the user for every insurance plan with which it works. Users can also apply their insurance coverage toward a wearable or other upgraded pump. Within three weeks of soft launching, Babylist Health processed claims in 47 states through more than 60 insurance companies, including TRICARE, CIGNA, and many Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. The breast pump selection includes options from Spectra, Lansinoh, Medela, Elvie, Willow, and more. Visit https://health.babylist.com for more information.

ABOUT BABYLIST

Babylist is the leading vertical marketplace and commerce destination for baby, driving purchase decisions for more than 8 million people each year. Utilizing robust proprietary data, patented technology, and unbiased editorial guidance, Babylist recommends expert-tested products to those starting their parenting journey so loved ones can offer their support. Babylist registries connect new parents and their community of family and friends who help plan, prepare, and shop for a child's arrival. Babylist is the generational brand in baby, leading the $67 billion baby products market as the trusted go-to solution for growing families. To learn about Babylist’s registry options, editorial content, and more, visit www.babylist.com.

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Alexandra Russo
[email protected]

Source: Babylist