Typically, the Medicaid program of an individual state will include a portion of the program that is designed to help low-income women who are pregnant to receive necessary health care. In Oklahoma, that program is called Pregnancy Services. You can tell by the name exactly what it is for.
Medicaid is a public, or government run, form of health insurance. It is designed to provide health insurance for families and individuals who are low-income and who cannot afford to purchase a health insurance plan from a private company. Medicaid is funded, in part, by the federal government, and, in part, by the government of an individual state.
The Oklahoma Health Care Authority administers the state’s Medicaid program. In Oklahoma, the Medicaid program is called SoonerCare. It has several different parts to it, and each is designed to cover a specific eligible population.
Most, if not all states, have a portion of their Medicaid program that is designed to cover low-income women who are pregnant. In Oklahoma, this portion of SoonerCare is called Pregnancy Services. I like that it has a name that takes the guesswork out of what the program is designed to do, and who it is intended to cover.
The website that has information about Pregnancy Services says:
“Pregnancy services are offered to qualified Oklahoma women to increase the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy and birth. Regular prenatal care is important in order to monitor how the pregnancy is going and it also helps spot any potential health problems before they become serious”.
To qualify for Pregnancy Services, a woman must be an Oklahoma resident, and she must meet citizenship or legal immigration status guidelines. This qualifications is waved if the woman is seeking the “Soon-to-be-Sooners” program. The woman must provide a “proof of pregnancy”. She must also meet financial and resource standards.
Pregnancy Services includes coverage for free, in most cases. Some services may require a referral, prior approval by a doctor, or a small co-pay. Covered services for obstetrical care may include: routine visits, speciality visits (when medically necessary), delivery services, ultrasounds, prescriptions, and labs and diagnostics related to pregnancy.
It also may cover maternal and infant health social work, lactation consultation services, genetic counseling, and high risk obstetric care (when medically necessary). Other care might include limited dental coverage (while pregnant), prescriptions, diabetes testing supplies, and smoking cessation programs.
Image by Teza Harinaivo Ramiandrisoa on Flickr