HME providers tap into ‘huge’ maternity market

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RALEIGH, N.C. – The market for maternity products is stable, unlike many other sectors of the HME industry right now, making it an attractive area of growth for providers.

“There are always people having children—daily,” said Matt Scott, business development manager at Prism Medical Products, a provider in Elkin, N.C., that partners with Motif Medical to offer maternity products to customers.

Based in Raleigh, N.C., Motif Medical develops insurance-eligible products, including breast pumps and supplies, compression socks and bands, and postpartum recovery garments, as well as medical devices like the BiliTouch Phototherapy Blanket.

Ride the wave of demand
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, which requires health insurance plans to cover the cost of breastfeeding equipment, demand for maternity products has skyrocketed in recent years. The breast pump market in North America is projected to be worth $312 million by the end of 2026, up from $230 million in 2021, according to a study by Market Data Forecast – a data point that should attract providers looking to increase revenues. 

“The potential for insurance-covered maternity products is huge,” said Brian Maggio Jr., president and CEO of Matriarch Women’s Health Supply, a provider customer of Motif Medical in San Antonio. “Maternity belts and postpartum garments have been flying off our shelves, ever since Texas Medicaid started covering them.”

Advocate for mom
For providers, the key to maximizing revenue is navigating the insurance landscape on mom’s behalf and presenting a full offering of covered and cash-pay products for each patient that comes into their business or network, says Brandon Fonville, director of Motif Medical.

“More often than not, breast pumps are a 100% covered benefit, but as you get into some of these other products, it depends on your insurance plan,” he said. “There might be deductibles involved for partial coverage, there might be some out-of-pocket, but if you drive awareness to what is covered for her, she would be a lot more inclined to opt-in to some of these other products.”

Build brand loyalty
For providers considering the leap into maternity, Scott says the market is wide open with all kinds of products and accessories, so finding one manufacturer to fill that void can save a lot of time and resources.

“If a mom gets one good product from a company, she’s going to ask, do they make this other product,” he said. “If they order a pump, they’re going to need to order replacement parts for that pump from that same manufacturer, so there’s obviously going to be continuity. Any company you’re working with, if they’re doing a good job of marketing their products and getting their name out there, then they’re also going to be pulling people in for you—just by name alone.”

Keep pace with innovation
The maternity market is more than breast pumps, and providers should also work with vendors like Motif Medical that are innovating within the product category, Fonville says. The company recently developed, based on feedback from providers, the BiliTouch Phototherapy Blanket, a device that won the Providers’ Choice Gold Award at the New Product Pavilion at Medtrade West.

 “We were hearing difficulty obtaining phototherapy blankets in the industry and maintaining them,” he said. “There’s a lot of maintenance involved and it’s hard to get parts and from hearing those pain points we decided to develop our own product. It’s low maintenance, small, has a heavy-duty case, and that came directly from conversations with providers.”

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