Maternal child services
The Taking Care of Baby and Me® program is a comprehensive proactive case management and care coordination program for all expectant mothers and their newborns. It offers:
- Individualized, one-on-one case management support for women at the highest risk
- Care coordination for moms who may need a little extra support
- Educational materials and information on community resources
- Incentives to keep up with prenatal and postpartum checkups and well-child visits after the baby is born
This program helps identify pregnant women as early in their pregnancies as possible. Once pregnant members are identified, we act quickly to assess obstetrical risk and ensure appropriate levels of care and case management services to mitigate risk.
If you would like more information about the OB Case Management program or have a patient who would benefit from care management, please contact Provider Services.
Notification of pregnancy and delivery
We require notification of pregnancy after the first prenatal visit and notification of delivery following birth. You may fax the notification forms to Wellpoint Iowa, Inc. or provide notice online.
Fax notification forms:
Submit notification online:
Use the Interactive Care Reviewer (ICR) tool in Availity .
Maternity Module in Availity
We also encourage providers to complete the Maternity Module in Availity :
- Perform an Eligibility and Benefits request on a member enrolled in Wellpoint.
- Choose one of the following benefit service types: maternity, obstetrical, gynecological, obstetrical/gynecological.
- Before the benefit results screen, you will be asked if the member is pregnant. Choose yes if applicable and note the estimated due date. You can leave this blank if the due date is unknown.
After submitting your answer, you’ll be taken to the member’s benefits page. A Maternity Module will now be available for this member in the Payer Spaces section of Availity.
Substance use disorders in pregnancy and neonatal abstinence syndrome
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are on the rise and are of particular concern in women of childbearing age who are or may become pregnant. OB providers have a unique opportunity to help break the pattern of opioid misuse, thus, avoiding health consequences for both mother and child. The important steps in this practice are to identify treat, and/or refer to treatment women who are using/abusing unhealthy substances. Wellpoint is here to support providers, pregnant members and their little ones on the way.
For more information about the OB Case Management program or if you have a patient who would benefit from case management, please contact Provider Services.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Case Management program
The NICU Case Management program is committed to ensuring that all of our high-risk infants have a well-defined plan for quality and cost effective NICU care and a safe and successful transition to the home environment. We provide a seamless, integrated approach, including early identification of members for NICU Care Management referral, enrollment, engagement and continued oversight through case closure.
Our program encourages parent/caregiver involvement in their infant’s care while hospitalized in the NICU. We focus on parents of infants expected to be in the hospital greater than two weeks who were born at 34 or fewer weeks gestation, born weighing 2000 grams or less, born with major congenital anomalies, require ventilator care, or require major surgery. We provide education and support designed to help them cope with the day-to-day stress of having a baby in the NICU, encourage them to stay involved in the care of their babies and help them prepare themselves and their homes for discharge.
The stress of having a critically ill infant in the NICU can potentially result in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms among parents and loved ones. In an effort to reduce the impact of PTSD among our members, we assist by:
- Guiding parent(s) into hospital-based support programs, if available, as well as to target support services and referrals to providers
- Screening parent(s) for PTSD approximately one month after the date of birth
- Referring parent(s) to behavioral health program resources, if indicated
- Reconnecting with families with a one-month follow-up call to assess if the parent(s) received benefit from initial contact and PTSD awareness
If you would like more information about the NICU Case Management program or have a patient who would benefit from care management, please contact Provider Services.
Related information
- Taking Care of Baby and Me Provider Booklet
- Postpartum Visit Schedule
- 2023 Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis (Dx) codes
- Decreasing maternal morbidity and mortality through postpartum interventions
- Postpartum mood disorders
- Maternal Cardiovascular Disease Flier
- Cervical Length Measurement by Transvaginal Ultrasound
- New claim submission process: early elective delivery versus uncomplicated spontaneous labor/vaginal delivery
- Safe Prevention of Primary Cesarean Delivery
- Coding spotlight — Pregnancy
Provider tools & resources
- Log in to Availity
- Launch Provider Learning Hub
- Learn about Availity
- Prior Authorization Lookup Tool
- Prior Authorization Requirements
- Claims Overview
- Member Eligibility & Pharmacy Overview
- Policies, Guidelines & Manuals
- Referrals
- Forms
- Provider Training Academy
- Pharmacy Information
- Electronic Data Interchange
Interested in becoming a provider in the Wellpoint network?
We look forward to working with you to provide quality service for our members.
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