Missouri’s Show-Me Healthy Babies program to begin Jan. 1
JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Beginning Jan. 1, 2016, low-income pregnant women in Missouri will have better access to prenatal care through the Show-Me Healthy Babies Program, Gov. Jay Nixon announced today.
“All pregnant women should have access to quality prenatal care,” said Gov. Nixon. “Greater access to quality prenatal care will mean healthier moms, healthier kids and healthier communities. I am proud that Missouri is expanding access to health care services for an estimated 1,800 pregnant women each year.”
Through the Show-Me Health Babies Program, pregnant women with incomes up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level will have access to pregnancy-related services that promote healthy labor, delivery and birth. Participating women will have postpartum coverage for sixty days. Coverage for the child will continue for up to one year after birth.
The MO HealthNet Division, which operates the state’s Medicaid system, will begin accepting online applications for the program beginning on Jan. 1, 2016. To apply for the Show-Me Healthy Babies Program, pregnant women can complete the MO HealthNet for Pregnant Women application online by visiting https://mydss.mo.gov/. When state offices reopen on Jan. 4, applications can also be completed over the phone by calling 1-855-373-9994, or in person at the nearest Family Support Division Resource Center.
The Governor signed legislation creating the program in 2014, and the state’s implementation plan was recently approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
