We advocate for pregnancy & mom friendly employer environments.  That starts (but doesn’t end) with your insurance coverage and benefits.  Our moms are the best source of  current information, so please keep us updated as to employer/insurance relationships and employer pregnancy benefits.   We love to hear feedback on who has the best rooms for pumping and nutritious and local food in their cafeteria.  We will gladly request to be added to insurance plans when there are Moms willing to help us speed up the process.

CIGNA:  Hallmark, UMB, Children’s Mercy, Carpenter’s Union, Black & Veatch

UNITED: we are working on the contracts !

Apple, Sprint, DST, State of Kansas Employees, Farmer’s Insurance

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City: JE Dunn, Burns & McDonnell, Garmin, 

AETNA: We have asked to join their network & they declined.  Costco, HCA 

HUMANA ….We have asked to join their network & we are working on the contracts !

COVENTRY …..We asked to join their network & they declined.

New Birth Company is proud of the impact that our moms and their partners have already made on our community.  Employers and insurance companies are adding midwives and birth centers to their networks because of your advocacy !  When a pregnant mother asks to lower the cost of healthcare and improve her experience, it matters.  Here are some sample letters that you can use to make changes in your world.

Letter #1 Asking the Employer to Advocate for Midwives & Birth Centers to be added to the plan

Dear Employer Benefits Manager,

I appreciate that as much as 50% of our company’s wellness costs can be tied to the cost of prengancy and childbirth.  A commonly held myth is that there is little that an employer or insurance company can do to lower these costs.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  Pregnancy and Birth are exemplary of consumer-driven-healthcare.  Birth and newborn are the #1 reason for hospital admission.  Birth costs vary from $5500 for pregnancy and birth in a midwifery model birth center to $12,000 -$15,000 for a failed induction that leads to caesarian section.  The mother and her family play a very large role in determining the final outcome and cost based on her overall health and choice of natural childbirth and birth venue.

I (or my partner) am choosing natural childbirth in a free standing birth center and ask that you request that our insurance plan add New Birth Company’s midwives and birth center to the network.   I welcome additional conversation to educate the benefits team on the midwifery model of care, free standing birth centers and how to improve birth outcomes while lowering costs.   

Sincerely,

Consumer

Letter #2 Sample Letter from Employer Benefits to their Insurance Account Representative

To: Insurance Company

Cc: Employer Account Rep for Insurance Company

Dear Insurance Company Account Manager,

I am writing to request that Insurance Company add New Birth Company midwives  and free standing birth center  facility to our network.  On behalf of an employee request to receive care from one of their midwives, I am writing in support of this addition.  New Birth Company’s midwives have been recognized as exemplars for maternity care in our community.  Our company’s bottom line, employees and covered lives will benefit from the addition of these providers to the Insurance Company network.    I look forward to your confirmation.

Sincerely,

Employer Benefits Manager