Plan first

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• Plan first

A Family Planning Program
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• Unintended Pregnancies In Alabama

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• Percent Using Birth Control at Conception by
  Intendedness

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• Intendedness of Births by Method of Payment

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Doesn't Medicaid Pay for Family Planning Services?

• Prior to Plan first, only three groups of women
  qualified for family planning services under the
  Medicaid program
• MLIF
• SSI
• SOBRA
  

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Two Major Issues Have Been Identified

• Access the problem of access to family planning
  services by the population in need.
• Knowledge inadequate knowledge regarding
  contraception, family planning and reproductive
  health.

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• What is Plan first?

• A Federally approved Research and Demonstration
  Waiver for Family Planning services.
• A collaboration between the Alabama Department of
  Public Health and the Alabama Medicaid Agency.
• Provides the expansion of Medicaid coverage for
  Family Planning Services.

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• The Purpose of Plan first

• To increase the availability of family planning
  services to many women of childbearing age,
  between 19 to 44 years of age, up to and
  including 133 of the federal poverty level, who
  would not otherwise qualify for Medicaid.

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The Primary Goal of Plan first

• The primary goal of Plan first is to decrease the
  number of unintended pregnancies

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• Objectives

• to decrease the number of unintended pregnancies
  among low-income women in Alabama.
• to improve access to high quality family planning
  services for low-income women.
• to decrease Medicaid costs as a result of
  unintended pregnancies.

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• Objectives

• to have effective outreach programs to increase
  awareness and the need for family planning
  services.
• to utilize care coordination to assist women in
  choosing a family planning method and as a means
  for consistently and correctly using their chosen
  method.
• to ensure that education regarding family
  planning methods is communicated in a meaningful
  and clear way.

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• Who is Eligible for Plan first ?

• Must live in Alabama
• Be a U.S. citizen or be in this country legally
• Be a woman between the ages of 19 to 44 years
  of age
• Have not had surgery to prevent
  pregnancy
• Have a household income at or below 133 of the
  federal poverty level

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• Who Automatically Qualifies for Plan first ?

• Women age 19 through 44 who have SOBRA eligible
  children (incomes at or above 133 FPL) already
  receiving Medicaid, will automatically become
  eligible for family planning without a separate
  eligibility determination.
• SOBRA eligible pregnant women ages 19 through 44
  will be automatically eligible for family
  planning services at the expiration of their 60
  days postpartum.

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Who will Need to Complete an Application?

• Women 19 through 44 whose children are SOBRA
  eligible but are not currently enrolled in the
  Medicaid program, will need to complete an
  application.
• Only one application will need to be completed
  for the children and the woman applying for
  Plan first.
• Women age 19 through 44, who are not pregnant,
  postpartum or who do not have children will
  need to complete an application.

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• Where can I Get an Application?

• Applications are available for potential clients
  from
• Alabama Medicaid Agency
• Alabama Department of Public Health
• County health departments
• Providers of services to pregnant women
• Family planning providers
• Outstationed Medicaid workers

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• Will There be an Annual Re-certification ?

• Re-certification will be done annually for those
  women who have children receiving SOBRA Medicaid.
  The re-certification will be done at the time of
  the annual review of their children.
• Annual re-certifications are not required for the
  women who do not have children.

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• What Benefits Does a Plan first Client Receive ?

• Yearly family planning exam which includes a pap
  smear and a breast exam.
• Lab work such as testing for pregnancy and STDs.
• Some types of birth control such as pills, shots
  and IUDs.
• Tubal ligations for women 21 years of age and
  over.
• Care and support from a nurse or social worker.
• Help in planning when to have a baby.

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• What is Different About Plan first Coverage?

• Oral contraceptives are issued by the family
  planning provider at the time of the visit.
• Care Coordination for women considered at high
  risk for an unintended pregnancy.
• The implementation of this project will offer
  family planning services to an expanded
  population of 111,000.

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• Who Provides Plan first Services ?

• Clinics
• County Health Departments
• Private Physicians
• Nurse Midwives
• Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Assistants

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How to Locate Plan first Providers in Your
Community?

• Call the Plan first TOLL- FREE HOTLINE at
  1-888-737-2083 or
• Contact your local county health department for a
  list of providers in your area

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• What are the Benefits of Family Planning?

• Mothers and babies have a better chance of being
  healthy.
• Parents can provide for their family both
  financially and emotionally.
• Children get more time and attention.

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• For Additional Information

• Contact your local county health department
  or
• Call the TOLL-FREE HOTLINE
• 1-888-737-2083 Monday - Friday
  8 a.m. - 5 p.m.