Maternal Health

Free Care for Pregnant Women

Women and teens who are pregnant qualify for free prenatal care coverage in California if they do not already have insurance. Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnant Women (PE4PW) is a type of temporary Medi-Cal that is designed to provide immediate, temporary coverage for prenatal care to low-income pregnant patients pending a formal Medi-Cal application. It is available irrespective of immigration status.

Learn more about what this program covers, how your patients can enroll and which providers participate on our maternal mental health page.

Maternal Mental Health

Perinatal depression is one of the most common medical complications during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Ob/Gyns, primary care providers, and other obstetric care providers play a critical role in identifying and initiating treatment for this pervasive complication.

• The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale is a 5-minute questionnaire designed specifically for pre- and post-natal screening. It is available in multiple languages from mcpapformoms.org. (Please note that not all versions are validated – use at your discretion.)
• The PHQ9, a general screening tool for depression, is also used by many providers.
• If you'd like to refer a member for behavioral health services, please use the behavioral health referral form. For screening tools and other resources, please visit our behavioral health provider webpage.
• The California nonprofit organization 2020 Mom is focused on closing gaps in maternal mental health care through education, advocacy, and collaboration. They offer many resources for providers at www.2020mom.org.
• Read more about the economic and population health consequences of untreated maternal mental health conditions. A recent study estimated the societal costs at over $2B annually in California alone

Maternal and Infant Health Disparities

Did you know that in the Bay Area, infant mortality is four times higher for African-American women than White women, and that African-American woman are three to four times more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth^1,2? Did you know that this alarming disparity exists for women of all education and income levels³? There are many things providers and community organizations can do to help tackle this public health crisis:

Learn more about the underlying causes of this issue and some of the resources available to you and your patients from the Winter 2018 edition of HealthMatters MD.

Get detailed information about several great organizations here in San Mateo County and nationally — you can read more Spring 2019 edition of HealthMatters MD

Watch a 2020 webinar presentation from HPSM and San Mateo County's Black Infant Health program on Barriers to Black Breastfeeding here.

Additional resources

• The Black Infant Health Project
• The Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program  
• Nurse Family Partnership  
• The Black Mamas Matter Alliance  
• The Harvard Chan School’s Maternal Health Task Force  
• The Alliance for Innovation for Maternal Health (AIM)  

Pregnancy and Postpartum: Baby + Me Program

Baby + Me is HPSM’s care program for pregnant women, new moms and their babies! Baby + Me offers referrals to community resources and information for pregnant women, new moms and their families.

Plus, participants can earn up to $100 in Target GiftCards^TM for going to two doctor appointments!

• Visit within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and participants gets a $50 Target GiftCard^TM 
• Visit between 1 and 12 weeks after delivery and participants get a $50 Target GiftCard^TM

If your patient is eligible, you can complete the online enrollment form below with them or refer them to HPSM's Health Education Unit at 650-616-2165. Your patients may also enroll in Baby + Me on their own. If they qualify for the program, HPSM will mail a different form to them along with a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). They will bring this form to their appointment for you to fill out. Once the form is completed, please either mail it to HPSM in the SASE or fax it to 650-829-2073.

• Baby + Me Program enrollment form