The Public Health Prenatal Program assures access to basic prenatal services through the LHD directly or by referral for those women who meet the following eligibility guidelines: income at or below 185 percent federal poverty level who are uninsured (no private insurance, no Medicaid, no Medicare).
You may contact your local health department to find out if you are eligible for assistance from the Public Health Prenatal Program and staff also can help you find a prenatal health care provider.
Importance of Prenatal Care
Research has shown that women who start prenatal care early in their pregnancy tend to have fewer medical problems and deliver healthier babies. It is very important for all pregnant women to initiate their prenatal care as soon as they know they are pregnant and continue with appropriate care through delivery and postpartum follow-up visit.
Pregnant...Now What?
- Once you find out you are pregnant, make an appointment with an obstetrician or certified nurse-midwife as soon as possible
- If you do not have insurance or payment coverage, ask your provider or contact the local health department to apply for presumptive eligibility (PE). If you are eligible, you can receive prenatal services at not cost up to 90 days. Do not go to the local DCBS office to apply for PE. Apply for PE before applying for Medicaid. You should apply for Medicaid after your start date of PE and before the expiration date.
Reminder
A full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks. During the last few weeks of pregnancy your baby's lungs continue to develop and the brain grows a lot and adds new connections that are important for coordination, learning and many other functions. Babies born before 37 weeks are preterm. Preterm babies can suffer lifelong consequences (such as mental retardation and blindness) and may require longer hospital stays.
Text4Baby
This is a free mobile health service that provides health information through SMS text messages to pregnant women and new mothers during pregnancy and their babies' first year of life through their cell phones.
Sign up is easy: Text the word BABY to the number 511411. Receive messages in Spanish by texting BEBE to 511411. You may also sign up online.
The KDPH continues to support and promote the text4baby program. Text4baby is a service of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition with the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as partners.