Maternity Resources for Your Pregnancy
Welcome to the State Health Plan's maternity resources page. Having a baby is an exciting time for you and your loved ones. It can also be a time filled with questions and concerns. Your doctor should always be the first source of guidance for you during pregnancy. However, the Plan is here to support expectant moms with a variety of resources especially for you.
Maternity Coaching
Maternity coaching is available to eligible members* who are expecting a baby. You can work with a maternity coach over the phone, with the main goal being to help you and your baby be as healthy as possible. Call toll-free 800-817-7044 to learn more. Coaching is available:
- Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
- Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Preparing for a new baby is one of the most joyous times of your life. But it can also be a little stressful for mothers experiencing some of the following:
- Chronic medical conditions such as diabetes or asthma
- A previous complicated pregnancy or delivery
- An age of 35 or older
- More than one baby in this pregnancy
- Pregnancy-related conditions such as high blood pressure
The good news is that your maternity coach is on hand to help answer your questions and recommend ways to achieve healthy outcomes.
Stork Rewards
The Stork Rewards program is open to pregnant subscribers or spouses (dependent children are not eligible) who are pregnant on or after October 1, 2011. To qualify, members must call a maternity coach at NC HealthSmart for an initial assessment and complete one action item, as determined by a coach, for each trimester following enrollment in the program.
Qualifying participants will have their inpatient hospital copayment waived at the time of delivery:
- $233 for members enrolled in the 80/20 Standard plan
- $291 for those enrolled in the 70/30 Basic plan
Members that are already pregnant are eligible to participate by calling a maternity coach to enroll in the program. Members who become pregnant after October 1, 2011 must enroll during their first trimester. Members who already participate in maternity coaching through NC HealthSmart are automatically enrolled in the program.
As a participant you will also receive a book to guide you through pregnancy and newborn care. You can also tap into numerous maternity resources available on your Personal Health Portal. Still have questions? Please see the Stork Rewards Frequently Asked Questions for further information.
Get the support - and savings - you deserve. Call an NC HealthSmart maternity coach at 800-817-7044 and get enrolled today!
Maternity Leave Checklist
With pregnancy comes a lot of questions! We have a Maternity Leave & Benefit Checklist designed just for you to help you throughout your pregnancy. With the help of this checklist, we hope the transition into your maternity leave will leave you feeling confident about your benefits and resources, and ready to enjoy your new family!
Adding Newborns to Your Health Coverage
Please remember that you do have a choice of coverage effective dates for your newborn. Members have the option to add a newborn to the State Health Plan on the first day of the month in which the child is born or on the first day of the month following the date of birth.
For a newborn to be covered from the date of birth, the coverage effective date must be the first of the month in which the child is born.
If a member chooses to cover a newborn the first of the month following delivery, that member will be responsible for any claims incurred in the birth month by the newborn.
It is important to remember, when members add a newborn the first day of the month in which the child is born and when they have employee-only or employee-spouse coverage, their coverage type will change to employee-child or employee-family. The member will have to pay the additional premium for the month in which the child is born. Because most employees wait to add their newborn until after the baby is born, it usually results in premiums for two months being deducted from one paycheck.
Please see the Family Planning section in the Benefits Booklet, or your health benefits representative, to get further information on newborn health care coverage.
Please remember: While there is an initial copay charge for the pregnancy diagnosis (the first visit), visits thereafter are covered at no charge. The remaining maternity visit charges are covered by one global fee subject to inpatient copay, deductible and coinsurance upon hospital admission/delivery.
Personal Health Portal
As a State Health Plan member, you have 24-hour online access to your NC HealthSmart Personal Health Portal. Once you have registered, you can take a Health Assessment and get a Personal Health Report, explore numerous maternity resources, learn about lifestyle programs, and manage appointments.
Members eligible for NC HealthSmart services are members whose primary health coverage is through the State Health Plan. Federal law prohibits the Plan from using your personal health information to discriminate against you in any way or from giving this information to your employing agency/school or other unauthorized third party, unless required by law.
