Medicaid Prenatal Care
What to Expect When You’re Expecting on Medicaid
Medicaid Pregnancy Care: Low-Cost Prenatal Care for Women on Medicaid Raleigh
NeighborHealth Center is proud to be one of the Triangle’s only clinics offering exceptional and affordable prenatal care in Raleigh for all women – regardless of their ability to pay. Whether you’re on Medicaid or without insurance, you can find low-cost prenatal care in Raleigh at our location on Blue Ridge Road near Rex Hospital. Offering the most compassionate pregnancy care for Medicaid patients, NeighborHealth provides a whole-person approach to care right here in Raleigh.
If you’re looking for free prenatal care in Raleigh*, low-cost prenatal care in Raleigh, or Medicaid prenatal care, our team can provide the high-quality care you and your baby need from conception through postpartum – guiding you through a healthy pregnancy and delivery.
How to Apply for Medicaid During Pregnancy in Raleigh
At NeighborHealth Center, we want every pregnancy to be a healthy pregnancy – which requires exceptional healthcare and prenatal care. If you are pregnant and need assistance applying for Medicaid to cover your prenatal care, our social worker can assist you with the qualification and application process. Please call our office in Raleigh at (984) 222-8000.
NeighborHealth Center – Providing Exceptional Maternity Care for Medicaid Patients in Raleigh
If you’re on Medicaid and need pregnancy care in Raleigh, you may wonder what to expect from the team at NeighborHealth Center. The reality is that maternity care for Medicaid patients is the same as we’d offer to any other patient – all pregnant women deserve the same exceptional level of care and service. In addition to routine medical care, NeighborHealth Center is pleased to offer additional wrap-around services to support Medicaid members and/or underserved women seeking low-cost prenatal care. For pregnant women without Medicaid or other insurance, we are pleased to offer a sliding fee scale based on income to help ensure your prenatal care is affordable.
What does Medicaid cover for prenatal care in Raleigh?
Here’s a quick overview of the prenatal services we provide at NeighborHealth Center for Medicaid recipients. Every appointment will be held at the NeighborHealth Center Blue Ridge Road clinic, near Rex Hospital and Lake Boone Trail in Raleigh.
New OB Appointment & Prenatal Physical:
Congratulations on your pregnancy! This appointment will be your first interaction with the NeighborHealth Center prenatal/obstetrics team. While this visit generally occurs at 6-8 weeks gestation, timing will vary. During this Medicaid prenatal appointment, we’ll confirm your pregnancy, establish your care, and decide upon a due date. This visit will include a comprehensive review of your health history as well as a pregnancy test and your first ultrasound. Your Medicaid prenatal physical will include routine lab work/blood draw, urinalysis, as well as a breast and pelvic exam. Lastly, our team will provide prenatal care education and guidance to help ensure Medicaid patients are well-informed – reviewing what medications are safe to take during pregnancy, how much weight to expect to gain, how to manage any pre-existing health conditions – as well as your options for Raleigh hospital delivery (generally either WakeMed or Rex Hospital).
Social Worker Support:
To provide the highest quality pregnancy care for women on Medicaid in Raleigh, most Medicaid prenatal patients will meet with a social worker to help identify needs and connect you with resources to help address concerns such as food insecurity, housing needs, and much more. These important conversations with our compassionate social worker generally occur during your first or second appointment to avoid the need for additional visits. For patients who need help applying and/or qualifying for Medicaid, our social worker can also assist with that process – which is often overwhelming for women seeking free prenatal care in Raleigh.Genetic Screening:
During your Medicaid prenatal physical, your maternity care provider will discuss genetic screening options with you. These optional tests can provide information on the health of the fetus and pregnancy, checking for congenital conditions such as Down syndrome, trisomy 13 and spina bifida.Anatomy Scan:
At around 20 weeks gestation, NeighborHealth Center provides prenatal Medicaid patients with an ultrasound that allows us to look at all your baby’s anatomy to make sure everything looks healthy and normal. This is a great opportunity to bring loved ones with you to see the baby – you may bring up to two people with you. In the event that we identify any abnormalities that could affect the health of the pregnancy or baby, we will refer you to a high-risk pregnancy specialist, such as a maternal-fetal medicine provider.Ongoing prenatal care appointments:
Following your initial visit, most healthy women will come every four weeks for a prenatal care visit until 28 weeks gestation. During these early prenatal appointments, Raleigh Medicaid patients can expect routine check-ins and ongoing pregnancy education. From 28 weeks to 36 weeks, you’ll have a prenatal care appointment every two weeks. Starting at 36 weeks, you’ll have a prenatal care appointment every week until delivery. Throughout your pregnancy, your care team will be focused on monitoring the health of both mom and baby. Routine appointments may include blood pressure checks to screen for preeclampsia, listening to baby’s heart rate, measuring your weight and belly, lab work/urinalysis, and more.Glucose Test for Gestational Diabetes:
At 28 weeks, an important prenatal service is a test that will identify whether you have gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a condition that affects between roughly five and nine percent of pregnant women who don’t already have diabetes. It generally develops around 24 weeks of gestation, and occurs when your body can’t make enough insulin. Because gestational diabetes generally has no symptoms, this screening is important for Medicaid recipients and all pregnant women. Prior to this appointment, we ask you to limit sugar and carb intake for at least an hour prior to visit time.Growth Scan:
If needed, a prenatal growth scan (ultrasound) may be performed between 28-32 weeks to make sure your baby is growing well, and in some cases, another scan/ultrasound may be performed prior to delivery to ensure the baby is positioned head down – which is ideal for a healthy and safe delivery. If the baby isn’t head down (also known as breech), your Medicaid prenatal provider will discuss your options for delivery with you – which may include a C-section or an attempt to rotate the baby in utero.RSV Vaccination:
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a highly contagious virus that can lead to respiratory infection in babies, including serious lung infections. NHC offers Medicaid prenatal patients with a vaccination to protect your baby at no cost – and it’s generally offered/given between 32 and 36 weeks.
Transitioning from Medicaid Prenatal Care to Pediatric Care in Raleigh
At the end of your pregnancy, our team will be praying that every NeighborHealth Center Medicaid prenatal patient has a safe and healthy delivery at one of our partner hospitals – either Rex Hospital or WakeMed in Raleigh.
Following your baby’s delivery, NeighborHealth Center would be honored to transition your prenatal care to pediatric care for your newborn. Our pediatric care team offers exceptional healthcare for newborns and infants all the way through childhood, the teen years and into young adulthood. Our whole-person approach to care provides families with Medicaid the most exceptional outcomes to keep every healthy.
Schedule a Prenatal Appointment at NeighborHealth
To schedule a prenatal appointment, please call 984-222-8000. We have staff who are fluent in Spanish, Mandarin, and Arabic.
*’Free’ refers to out-of-pocket costs for Medicaid members, who may be eligible to receive free care at no cost through this government-sponsored health plan.
