Brighter Beginnings is a program to help expectant families and babies stay healthy during pregnancy and after the baby is born.
Notification of Pregnancy Form
Benefits & Rewards
Free home pregnancy test
Female members of childbearing age can call Member Services at 312-864-8200 and request up to one pregnancy test a month. Money will be added to their CountyCare Visa Rewards Card so they can purchase a test, or it will be mailed to the address they provide.
Earn rewards for seeing your prenatal provider
You can earn cash credit on your CountyCare Visa Rewards Card for going to your prenatal visits. You can earn $50 on your Rewards Card for visits in the first trimester and $10 for each prenatal visit after the first trimester (up to 14 visits.) CountyCare will add $50 when you see your provider for a checkup 1-12 weeks after your baby’s birth. The Rewards Card can be used for home and health items from most places that accept Visa. You will have six months to use your rewards from the date they are added to your card.
Check your blood pressure at home
CountyCare covers an automatic blood pressure monitor, so you can check your own blood pressure. High blood pressure can cause problems for you and your baby during and after pregnancy. If you are pregnant, you can request one from your prenatal provider and have it delivered to your home.
Get a free car seat
You will need a car seat in your car to bring your baby home. CountyCare provides free car seats to our expectant parents. Call us at any time to request a car seat at 312-864-8200 and you will receive your car seat in the mail.
Request a free portable crib and Sleep Safe Kit
If you see your prenatal provider for at least 4 prenatal visits, you can get a free Sleep Safe Kit delivered to your home. Call us at 312-864-8200 at any time during your pregnancy to request a Sleep Safe Kit. The kit includes a Graco portable crib with fitted sheet, Halo SleepSack, Baby Sleep board book, and pacifier.
Earn rewards for your baby's doctor's visits and immunizations
- Your baby will receive their own CountyCare Visa Rewards Card.
- Your baby will earn a $50 reward when you bring them in for a checkup within one month of their birth.
- Your baby will earn a $10 reward for each of the first 10 immunizations they receive.
When you take your baby to these appointments, CountyCare will automatically put money on your child’s Rewards Card. You can spend the cash on the Rewards Card at most places that accept Visa. You will have six months from the date they are added to your baby’s card to use the rewards.
Book club for kids
Members age 3 through 16 can receive a new book in the mail every 3 months by signing up for our annual book club. Kids age 5 through 16 will receive a $10 Target gift card along with their book. Please call Member Services at 312-864-8200 to enroll.
Look for your free diaper coupons in the mail
All families with a baby under 2 years old will receive a coupon in the mail once a month for a free pack of diapers. CountyCare will automatically mail the coupon when your baby’s shots are up-to-date.
Click to read our Frequently Asked Questions about free diapers.
CountyCare members with babies up to two years old are now eligible to receive a monthly coupon for a free Jumbo Pack of Jewel-Osco Baby Basics diapers when their child is up to date on shots.
Every CountyCare family with a baby up to two years of age will be mailed a coupon for a free Jumbo Pack of Jewel-Osco Baby Basics diapers. The coupon can be used at any Jewel-Osco store in the Chicago-land area. As long as your baby is up to date on shots, you will continue to receive a coupon in the mail each month until your baby turns 2.
Your child’s doctor can tell you when your baby needs shots. To help you stay up to date, the coupon you receive in the mail each month will also include a schedule so you know which shots your child needs as they grow.
You DO NOT need to sign up or register. All CountyCare families with a child under two will automatically be mailed a coupon for free diapers. We mail the coupon monthly when your baby’s shots are up to date.
The coupon can only be used at Jewel-Osco. The coupon is valid only for a Baby Basics Brand Jumbo Pack of diapers. They can be purchased at any Jewel Osco location in the Chicago-land area.
Choose the Baby Basics Jumbo Pack of diapers in the size you need and give the cashier the coupon at checkout at Jewel-Osco.
You will receive a coupon for each eligible child under two in the household. So if you have two children under two you will receive two coupons!
Yes, the coupons are only good for one month so make sure you get to the store to get them before it expires. The expiration date is printed at the top of the coupon so you will know when it can be used.
If you have moved and need to update your address, please call Member Services at 312-864-8200. If you think your child may not be up to date on shots, call your provider’s office to schedule a well-child visit.
Here’s how to get your FREE diapers:
- When your baby is on schedule for shots, CountyCare mails you a coupon for a Jewel-Osco Baby Basics Jumbo Pack of diapers each month.
- The coupon can be used at any Jewel-Osco location in the Chicagoland area. The cashier will verify your coupon when you check out.
- To help you stay up-to-date, the coupon will also include a schedule so you know which shots your children need as they grow.
- The best way to stay up-to-date on shots is to have regular well-child visits with your baby’s doctor.
All CountyCare families with a child under two will automatically receive a coupon for free diapers. You DO NOT need to register. We mail the coupon monthly when your baby’s shots are up-to-date.
To get your monthly diapers coupon, we must have your correct address. If you have recently moved, call Member Services at 312-864-8200 to confirm we have your updated information.
Talk to your provider about a breast pump
CountyCare covers one (1) double electric breast pump per year. When your baby is born, your provider can order the pump from several companies. You can pick it up or have it delivered to your home.
CountyCare covers lots of other medical equipment. Contact your provider if you have questions about medical equipment.
Explore the food and nutrition benefits available
Focusing on your nutrition during pregnancy is vital, not only for you, but for your baby as well. With pregnancy comes unique nutrient needs, hormonal changes, cravings and aversions, all while you’re preparing for a new baby to enter the world. It can feel like a lot! To help you every step of the way, CountyCare has partnered with Foodsmart to pair you with a nutrition coach — a partner to help you navigate nutrition and guide you through a healthy pregnancy. All CountyCare members can meet with a nutrition coach over the phone at no-cost. You can earn $50 in Instacart funds after you complete your first visit over the phone.
Members can learn more by visiting Foodsmart.com/members/countycare or schedule their first phone visit at Foodsmart.com/schedule.
Care Team
CountyCare covers many different providers for prenatal care, delivery, and ongoing care for children, adolescents, and adults.
These providers can all care for you on their own or can work in teams. Read below to learn more and decide which provider type is right for you!
A CNM is a nurse with education and training to take care of women throughout their lifetime, including care during pregnancy and childbirth.
A family practice doctor is a doctor with education and training to take care of every member of your family. Some family practice doctors take care of women during pregnancy and childbirth.
An MFM specialist is an OB/GYN with education and training to take care of women who have high-risk pregnancies.
A Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) is a nurse with education and training to take care of every member of your family. A Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) is a nurse with education and training to take care of women of all ages. Some nurse practitioners take care of women during pregnancy and childbirth.
An OB/GYN is a doctor who has education and training to take care of women throughout their lifetime, including care during pregnancy and childbirth.
A Pediatrician is a doctor with education and training to take care of children.
A PNP is a nurse with education and training to take care of children.
Source: March of Dimes, 2017, https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/prenatal-care-checkups.aspx
Find a Provider
Visit the CountyCare Provider Portal and find the provider that’s right for you and your children!
Interested in Finding a Midwife?
Click here for instructions on how to find a midwife.
Care Coordination
To talk with a Care Coordinator, please call Member Services at 312-864-8200 (855-444-1661 (toll free), 711 (TDD/TTY)) and ask to speak with a Care Coordinator.
You can also fill out the Referral to Care Coordination form and a Care Coordinator will contact you directly.
You may opt out of care coordination at any time by calling 312-864-8200.
All pregnant and parenting CountyCare members are eligible for care coordination services. Your Care Coordinator will work with you throughout your pregnancy and after. They can help you choose a prenatal provider and schedule prenatal care, help you set up transportation to your visits, connect you to community resources that can help with things like food, housing, or childcare, and help you take advantage of extra benefits for moms and babies, including a free car seat.
Having a “plan of care” during and after your pregnancy can help you get all the information and resources you need for a healthy pregnancy.
Coverage
Adding your baby to your coverage
One of the most important things you can do is to make sure your baby has health coverage. In the week after your baby is born, call DHS at 1-800-843-6154 or log on to the Application for Benefits Eligibility (ABE) System at www.abe.illinois.gov. After you log on to ABE, go to Manage My Case to add your baby and choose to stay with CountyCare. You will receive a notification in the mail when your baby has been added.
If you need assistance with this, please call us at 312-864-8200, option 1.
Comprehensive Care
With CountyCare, members have access to no-cost, comprehensive health care for every stage, at every age.
Preconception care is available for CountyCare members within primary care and is focused on reducing potential risk factors and supporting families in planning for healthy pregnancies. Preconception care can include management of chronic conditions, family planning, contraception management, and optimizing overall health including mental health.
Having a healthy pregnancy is one of the best ways to promote a healthy birth and baby. Prenatal care is the health care you get while you are pregnant. Getting early and regular prenatal care improves the chances of a healthy pregnancy. If you know or think you might be pregnant, call your doctor or a prenatal care provider to schedule a visit.
Prenatal diagnostic procedures, including genetic testing, are covered if you have a high-risk pregnancy.
Postpartum care is the care received after delivery. The weeks following birth are a critical period for babies and families setting the stage for long-term well-being. To optimize the health of parents and infants, postpartum care should be timely, occurring within six weeks of delivery. Postpartum care includes a comprehensive assessment of physical, social, and psychological well-being and supporting any identified needs of the family and infant. People who experience a miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal death should schedule timely follow-up care as well.
CountyCare covered services include:
- You may stay at the hospital for at least 48 hours after a normal vaginal delivery and at least 96 hours after a cesarean section delivery.
- Sometimes mothers want to leave sooner. You can leave sooner if, after talking to you, your doctor approves your discharge and makes an outpatient appointment for you and the baby within 48 hours.
- All new mothers should attend at least one postpartum visit between 7 and 84 days after giving birth. You can schedule this appointment before or after you give birth.
- CountyCare also covers mental health services for mothers experiencing postpartum depression.
It is important that you see your women’s health provider for an annual Well Woman checkup. During this visit, your provider may perform a PAP smear, a breast exam, STI testing, and can provide family planning services.
CountyCare offers family planning services through our network of family planning providers. You can get services from any qualified family planning provider, and they do not have to be a network provider. You also do not need a referral from your PCP or permission from CountyCare to get these services.
CountyCare covers:
- All contraceptive methods, including birth control devices and the fitting or insertion of the device (such as IUDs or implants). Over-the-counter and prescription emergency contraception.
- Permanent contraceptive methods, including vasectomies and tubal ligations.
Infant Health & Immunizations
It is important for your baby to go to all of their recommended doctor’s visits and receive all of their childhood vaccines. Click here for a schedule of when your child needs to see the doctor and when they should get each of their childhood vaccines.
Resources
There are many community resources available to pregnant and parenting people. Read below for information on trusted maternal and child health organizations.
Women, Infants and Children (WIC): WIC is a food assistance program for women, infants, and children. It helps pregnant women, new mothers, and young children eat well and stay healthy. You are eligible for WIC if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or just had a baby. WIC can provide special checks to buy food, nutrition information, breastfeeding assistance, and help to find healthcare. Click here to find a WIC office near you.
Family Case Management: The Family Case Management (FCM) program provides comprehensive service coordination to improve the health, social, education, and developmental needs of pregnant women, and infants (0-12 months) from low-income families in the communities of Illinois. Click here to find a Family Case Management Office near you.
Head Start/Early Head Start: Head Start (age 3-5) and Early Head Start (pregnant people and ages 0-3) offer early childhood education, health services, parent engagement, and social services to families. Click here to locate a Head Start program near you.
If you need help connecting to resources, contact our Care Coordination team by calling CountyCare Member Services at 312-864-8200 (855-444-1661 (toll-free), 711 (TDD/TTY)) and asking to speak with a Care Coordinator.
