NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed state budget for fiscal year 2014-2015 contains a proposal to expand pregnancy services for Medi-Cal recipients.

Partnership HealthPlan of California (PHC) is pleased to join that effort, as a managed care organization which already offers its members enhanced pregnancy services.

PHC’s Growing Together Peri-natal Program (GTPP) is a free program for pregnant women with Medi-Cal coverage to ensure good health for babies and their mothers.

GTPP is designed to educate and incentivize expectant mothers through coordinated care involving PHC, its pregnant members and medical providers.

Nutritional and dietary education, breastfeeding classes, prenatal appointment reminders and telephone support are components of GTPP.

Gift cards are awarded to women who enroll in and complete the program and free breast pumps are provided to new mothers who choose to go to school or back to work. All GTPP services are available in both English and Spanish.

“We are very happy to offer this important program to pregnant women with Partnership Medi-Cal coverage,” said Jack Horn, CEO of Partnership HealthPlan of California. “A healthy start in life is a major contributing factor to a healthy life overall. Whatever we can do to help make that happen is worth the effort.”

While all pregnant women with Partnership Medi-Cal qualify for the program, extra attention is paid to women with high-risk pregnancies. PHC works closely with women at risk for gestational diabetes, hypertension and other chronic conditions. Drug counseling, including smoking and drinking cessation is also offered in the program.

For more information on the Growing Together Peri-natal Program, call PHC at 1-800-863-4155.

PHC began operating in 1994 and serves Medi-Cal recipients in 14 northern California counties: Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Mendocino, Modoc, Napa, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Trinity and Yolo.

Additional information can be found at www.partnershiphp.org .