Prenatal care is the care you receive from the time you find out you’re pregnant until the delivery of your baby. As soon as you think you may be pregnant, schedule an appointment with your primary care provider for a pregnancy test to confirm the pregnancy. Depending on your health plan option, this may be your assigned primary care manager (PCM). Most primary care managers will place a referral for an Obstetrician or Midwife for continuing pregnancy care.
Regular appointments with your provider are important to ensure you and your baby are healthy. At the first appointment, you'll find out the due date and explore your health history. Frequent prenatal visits allow you to follow the progress of your pregnancy, your baby's development and give you the opportunity to ask questions along the way.
Ultrasounds
Doctors often perform ultrasounds at different times during pregnancy for different reasons. TRICARE will cover ultrasounds used to:
- Estimate gestational age
- Evaluate fetal growth
- Conduct a biophysical evaluation for fetal well-being
- Evaluate a suspected ectopic pregnancy
- Define the cause of vaginal bleeding
- Diagnose or evaluate multiple gestations
- Confirm cardiac activity
- Evaluate maternal pelvic masses or uterine abnormalities
- Evaluate suspected hydatidiform mole
- Evaluate the fetus's condition in late registrants for prenatal care
TRICARE does not cover maternity ultrasounds for routine screening or to determine the sex of the baby. If you have ANY questions about coverage, please contact your regional contractor.