Choose a Doctor
As soon as you find out you’re pregnant, you’ll need to find an in-network obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) you can trust, if you don’t already have one. Prenatal care is essential for making sure you and your baby start off and stay healthy during your pregnancy.
Some things to consider when choosing a doctor are how close the office is to your home or workplace, office hours, and what hospitals the doctor uses. You’ll be spending a lot of time with your OB-GYN, so make sure they’re a good fit for your personality, preferences, needs and values.
Use
Blue Access for MembersSM (BAMSM) to look up OB-GYNs in your Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) network. You can also call a Personal Health Guide (PHG) at
1-866-355-5999 for help finding an OB-GYN.
Get an Idea of what You’ll Pay for Prenatal Care and Delivery
You have maternity coverage with your TRS-ActiveCare health plan. It’s a good idea to check
your benefits booklet for details about your specific plan. Keep in mind that you’ll have to meet your deductible before your health plan starts to pay for covered services.
You’ll be billed for maternity care at the end of your pregnancy after childbirth, which is called global billing. Global billing includes antepartum care, delivery and postpartum care.
Your first visit with your doctor won’t be included in global billing, so you’ll have a copay or coinsurance or a deductible if it hasn’t been met, depending on your health plan. During your pregnancy, you may need certain tests or procedures outside routine prenatal care that will be billed separately, so copays or coinsurance may apply.
You’ll also want to make sure you get
prior authorization before you have a baby. Most in-network providers will handle the prior authorization for you. But it’s always a good idea to check with your doctor before you go into labor to make sure your approval is in place.
You can call a PHG at
1-866-355-5999 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for prior authorization questions, help with cost estimates and to answer questions about your maternity coverage.
You can also research and compare costs for non-routine tests or procedures by using the Cost Estimator at the bottom left of the
BAM home page.
Coverage for Your Newborn
If you’re the mother and TRS-ActiveCare policyholder, your newborn will be covered under your plan for the first 31 days. If you want your baby to be on your plan, contact your district’s benefits administrator in that 31-day window to make sure they are added. If your baby will have other coverage, contact BCBSTX to have them removed from your coverage.
Take Advantage of Help and Support Included in Your TRS-ActiveCare Health Plan
Your TRS-ActiveCare health plan has tools and resources to help you before, during and after your pregnancy – at no extra cost.
Ovia Health
OviaHealth® apps guide you step-by-step through your pregnancy with health trackers, videos, tips, coaching and more. The apps also include help from registered nurses, and if your pregnancy is high-risk, you’ll get phone support from a BCBSTX maternity specialist.
-
OviaFertility lets you track your cycle to find out when you’re most fertile.
- With
Ovia Pregnancy Tracker, you can look up food and medication safety, watch your baby grow week by week, and plan your return to work.
Download the apps:
Ovia Health from Apple App Store or
Ovia Health from Google PlayStore. During sign up, choose “I have Ovia Health as a benefit.” Then, select BCBSTX as your health plan and enter TRS-ActiveCare as your group name.
Well onTarget®
Well onTarget® has Healthy Pregnancy self-guided courses that take you from pre-pregnancy through post-pregnancy. For each course you complete, you’ll earn Blue PointsSM that can be redeemed in an online shopping mall. Create your account at
www.wellontarget.com.
Nurseline
The
24/7 Nurseline can help if you have a question or concern that pops up in the middle of the night or on the weekend. Registered nurses can give you advice or help you decide if you need to go to the emergency room or if you can wait to see your OB-GYN. Call the
24/7 Nurseline at
1-833-968-1770.
Blue Access for Members
BAM has articles and resources with information about having a healthy pregnancy. Just choose
Pregnancy in the
My Health tab.
Personal Health Guides
PHGs are always available to answer your questions about maternity coverage, claims, in-network providers and more. They’re available 24 hours, seven days a week at
1-866-355-5999. You can also chat with a PHG through the BCBSTX App, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Download the app:
Download the app from the Apple App Store and
Download the app from the Google Play Store
Relax, and Take Care of Yourself
Now that you know there are tools and resources to help you along the way, you can put some worries to rest. Focus on your health and enjoy the moment.
