How Grants for Pregnant Women Can Help You and Your Baby
Having children can be a costly experience and providing for quality health care when you are barely meeting normal expenses can be difficult. The good news is that the federal government provides grants for pregnant women through several agencies that provide support to low-income mothers to insure that adequate care can be provided for your child. The U.S. Government does not offer individual grants but rather provides this funding to the states where assistance is available locally for pregnant women. The help available under these programs will provide for prenatal and postnatal doctors visits, emergency and hospital care, vaccinations, prescription drugs, and supplemental food supply.
Medicaid
The first place you should look for help is Medicaid, which currently provides financial assistance for around a third of all childbirths in the United States. Medicaid is an assistance program run by the CMS and provides free or low-cost health insurance coverage to low-income families and expectant mothers. And while Medicaid is a federally mandated program, its benefits are administered on the state level meaning that coverage can vary from state to state. To find out if you are eligible and to apply for Medicaid, contact your state Medicaid office.
CHIP or Children’s Health Insurance Program
If you are not eligible to receive Medicaid benefits, you may still receive help under the CHIP or Children’s Health Insurance Program. CHIP is designed to provide health coverage to families who’s income is too high to qualify for Medicaid but who still cannot afford private medical coverage for their children. CHIP is also administered on the state level. To find out if you are eligible and to apply for CHIP, contact your state Medicaid office.
WIC Program
WIC stands for Women, Infants and Children and is a federally funded grant program run by the USDA. WIC funds health care referrals, supplemental food supply and nutrition education for low-income women and to infants and children found to have nutritional risk up to the age 5. WIC Program grants are awarded to individual states who then work on the local level with eligible families through state health departments and Indian tribal organizations. WIC also provides free car seats to women that complete a class on car seat safety. To receive assistance, contact your state WIC agency.
Category: Medical Grants, Personal Grants, Women’s Grants