Frequently Asked Questions

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What insurance do I choose?

Each insurance company has multiple plans. You can have 2 Blue Shield PPO plans where one allows midwifery and the other does not.

Here is a list of pointers and questions to ask when exploring insurance options.

HMO's & EPO's won't allow you to go outside of their network of preferred providers.
Choose a PPO plan with out-of-network coverage/benefits
While Cigna may offer competitive reimbursement rates, it's important to carefully consider the cost of their policies. Paying for a high-priced plan for a full 12 months might not be the most cost-effective option if you're only seeking coverage for a single event.
Confirm that your midwife’s licensure (LM, CPM, CNM) is a covered provider type for the policy.
Confirm that home birth is a covered benefit.
If #5 is no but #4 is yes, we have options and there's a way to work around that.

What information do I need to provide?

Here is a summarized list of what we need from you:

Insurance Card (images of the FRONT and BACK, free of shadows and close up)
Subscriber? If not SELF, please provide their: Name, DOB (Date of Birth), and relation to you
Birthing Parent's DOB (Date of Birth)
Estimated Due Date (EDD)
Who should I contact to discuss the insurance details? Phone number?
Address of the birthing parent AND subscriber if they are different
Your midwife’s name

How do I get started?

Use our online form to provide all required information.
Included in this form you will pay a $50 fee for a Verification of Benefits (VOB) for each insurance provider you are covered by.

How much does this service cost?

$50 - Verification of Benefits (VOB) for each insurance provider you are covered by.

$300-$350 - For Billing Services

The baby has arrived, now what?

Checklist Once Baby Arrives

Baby's born? Email EarthSide Billing's team with the date of birth and location of birth.
1. Please don’t start a new email thread. I’d really appreciate it if we can continue to use the existing email thread so all our conversations are in one place.
First week - add baby to insurance. Kindly let us know if their insurance ID is different.
Email EarthSide Billing’s team once the baby has been added with the first and last name given, along with sex (female or male).
Once you have completed care, email EarthSide Billing’s team. We will get the remaining claims submitted for your family’s care.
If you receive payment or correspondence from your insurance, please let us know.

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Our goal is for you to be reimbursed for the birth claim by the time you have your final 6

week postpartum visit. Our next goal is for the billing of the baby's care to be complete by

the time the baby is 3-4 months old.

My baby is already here, can I still bill for care?

Yes, as long as your insurance company will still accept claims for those dates of service.

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We recommend calling your insurance provider directly to inquire about their specific claim submission deadline. Policies can vary significantly, with some allowing up to a year and others only 180 days.

Anything else I should know?

Please know that while EarthSide Billing, Inc. strives to provide accurate information, we often rely on insurance representatives to interpret policy details. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided by the insurance company, nor can we guarantee claim payment or reimbursement.

Authorizations and Claim Submissions do not guarantee payment or reimbursement, as these are subject to your specific plan benefit and provider network status.

EarthSide Billing does not control the amount paid by your insurance company or health plan provider. Depending on your plan specifics, claims may process towards your deductible and/or out-of-pocket maximum without generating a cash in hand reimbursement.

Finally, please allow anywhere for 21-42 days for a response from your insurance company or health plan provider regarding submissions.

Should you have any further questions, we encourage you to review our FAQ section above, where we've addressed many common inquiries.

If you still require assistance after consulting the FAQ, please don't hesitate to contact us here. We're happy to help.

Frequently Asked Questions

Let's Work Together to Make Midwifery Care More Accessible!

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