Getting early and regular prenatal care is one of the best ways to promote a healthy pregnancy. Prenatal care is more than just health care; it often includes education and counseling about how to handle different aspects of pregnancy, such as nutrition and physical activity, what to expect from the birth itself, and basic skills for caring for your infant.
The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides health coverage for prenatal care and delivery to mothers and their unborn children -- helping to ensure that low-income mothers have healthy pregnancies and that their babies are born healthy and strong. SCHIP allows states to file a state plan amendment to use existing SCHIP funding for coverage for children from conception to birth and up to age 19. The regulation allows states to provide this benefit regardless of the mother's immigration status.
