Illinois § 5-18.10

§ 5-18.10.

Reimbursement for postpartum visits. (a) In this Section: "Certified lactation counselor" means a health care professional in lactation counseling who has demonstrated the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes to provide clinical breastfeeding counseling and management support to families who are thinking about breastfeeding or who have questions or problems during the course of breastfeeding. "Certified nurse midwife" means a person who exceeds the competencies for a midwife contained in the Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice, published by the International Confederation of Midwives, and who qualifies as an advanced practice registered nurse. "Community health worker" means a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the community health worker to serve as a liaison, link, and intermediary between health and social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. "International board-certified lactation consultant" means a health care professional who is certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners and specializes in the clinical management of breastfeeding. "Medical caseworker" means a health care professional who assists in the planning, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of medical services for a patient with emphasis on quality of care, continuity of services, and affordability. "Perinatal doula" means a trained provider of regular and voluntary physical, emotional, and educational support, but not medical or midwife care, to pregnant and birthing persons before, during, and after childbirth, otherwise known as the perinatal period. "Public health nurse" means a registered nurse who promotes and protects the health of populations using knowledge from nursing, social, and public health sciences. (b) The Illinois Department shall establish a medical assistance program to cover a universal postpartum visit within the first 3 weeks after childbirth and a comprehensive visit within 4 to 12 weeks postpartum for persons who are otherwise eligible for medical assistance under this Article. In addition, postpartum care services rendered by perinatal doulas, certified lactation counselors, international board-certified lactation consultants, public health nurses, certified nurse midwives, community health workers, and medical caseworkers shall be covered under the medical assistance program. (Source: P.A. 102-665, eff. 10-8-21.)