Yay! Effective April 1, 2012, Mountain Midwifery Center is now contracted with Anthem BCBS of Colorado! This is great news for our many patients who have a Blue Cross Blue Shield of some kind (Anthem or out-of-state). We have both facility and provider contracts.
This is a BIG deal for lots of reasons. In addition to allowing expecting famillies to use their in-network benefits (without all the hassle of coverage authorizations and gap exception requests), women can also get in-network coverage for gynecological care (well woman / annual exams, acute ailments, etc.).
The contract also recognizes the ability for our midwives (all CNMs) to provide newborn care. Lots of BCBS plans are reticent to acknowledge non-MD newborn care.
And Anthem does a great deal of Colorado's business (University employees and others), so the contract also represents a victory for midwives in the State system. More work to do there, but this is the kind of forward progress that really helps.
In short, we can more easily provide more care to more people, with less paperwork and fewer financial hassles. It's a contract, a piece of paper, but it really is very exciting :)