Maternal health benefits expand for TennCare patients

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - TennCare is expanding health care benefits for pregnant and postpartum women beginning Friday.

“Oftentimes a mother might have some health issues or health complications that arise or worsen because of pregnancy and getting them the care consistently, getting them to see the clinicians or doctors or the specialists, that can help not only the moms get better help, but also the infant too,” TennCare Chief Medical Officer Dr. Victor Wu said.

Health care coverage for women will increase from 60 days to now 12 months after pregnancy. The new coverage will also allow mothers to have access to dental benefits.

“We’ve also learned there is a direct linkage between the oral health of the mom and the oral health of the child and so one of the things we are really excited about is providing this dental benefit now to our new moms, not only during the pregnancy but also for the first 12 months after pregnancy,” Wu said.

Andrea Hewitt, a mother of two and owner of East Nashville Doulas, also believes giving parents continued support after birth makes a huge difference.

“I think it’s amazing. Birthing parents need support through that first year. They have just gone through one of the most amazing and transformative things your body can do. They need rest. They need healing, but they also need support learning how to car for these new babies,” Hewitt said.

To access the new benefits, TennCare members are asked to update their TennCare Connect account to notify the agency that they are pregnant.