Visits During Pregnancy
2023-24 Edition
Why is it important to have early and regular check-ups during pregnancy?
If you are pregnant, it is important to go to the doctor for regular check-ups, called prenatal visits. Prenatal visits are important because your doctor can look for problems like high blood pressure that can cause problems for you and your baby. At prenatal visits, you will also learn how to eat right, stay physically active, and get the right vitamins to protect your own health and your baby’s health.
When should you start prenatal check-ups, if you are pregnant?
You should start your prenatal check-ups as soon as you know that you are pregnant. It is best to start prenatal care within the first 13 weeks of the pregnancy.
Talk with your doctor and health plan to find out about what other services are available. Many health plans offer additional support and resources for women who are pregnant. These additional services may range from educational materials (online and in print), prenatal classes, case management, and other support services.
What do the stars mean?
The scores tell you how successful each health plan was at making sure that pregnant women began prenatal care during the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. A higher score means more pregnant women got the right care at the right time.
The scores are based on information from at least 30 health plan member administrative records in 2022. Some plans also use patient medical records, which are often more complete and result in higher scores. Plans that decide not to use medical records are likely to have lower scores.
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The data source for data for the Report Cards is Quality Compass® 2023 and is used with the permission of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Quality Compass® 2023 includes Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) data. Any data display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion based on these data is solely that of the authors. NCQA specifically disclaims responsibility for any such display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion. Quality Compass and HEDIS are registered trademarks of NCQA. CAHPS® is a registered trademark of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
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