The Federal government of America has initiated a very generous and supportive program called Access for infants and mothers program or AIM for the new mothers and their babies. The sole aim of the program is to help and ensure medical help to the mothers to be and their babies along with pre and post natal pregnancy. It is a low cost maternity benefit initiative of the state that ensures that new mothers that belong to the middle to low income bracket of American society are ensured health insurance.


Eligibility for AIM

As with other supportive initiatives of the government, the AIM too has some eligibility requirements before you could avail the medical benefit. The basic requirement is that you need to be a resident of the state of California. The woman should not be more than 30 weeks into her pregnancy before her complete application for AIM is received. The woman must not have any kind of Medi-Cal or Medicare benefits policy.

A pregnant woman without any kind of health insurance policy from a private insurer that covers the maternity conditions is also eligible. An exception to this rule is that even if you have a private insurer’s health insurance policy but the maternity cover or benefit is extended only with a deductible of $500 then you are eligible for AIM. Lastly, the income requirement is the most important criteria as the whole program is for the benefit of the families that have low income. A pregnant woman belonging to a family with total family income in the range of 200% to 300% of the poverty levels decided by the federal government is eligible to apply for the maternity benefits of the AIM.


Benefits of AIM

Like health insurance, AIM too will cost something but the total cost is minimal in comparison to health insurance. The total cost is adjusted to be 1.5% of the total annual income of the family. Thus, with a meager amount, the pregnant woman and her newborn baby can receive prenatal care during the pregnancy and for 60 days after the delivery of the baby. The baby too will be covered under the Healthy Families Program from the date of birth.

Other benefits of Access for Infants and Mothers Program include physician and hospital services, diagnosis and other lab tests costs. The cost of prescription drugs, emergency health care service provided to the pregnant woman as well as cost of transportation of the pregnant lady in an ambulance.

To apply for the Access for Infants and Mothers Program you need to furnish the proof of each detail required under the Income Disregard Program. You will require proof California residence, social security number proof, proof of identity, income proof and proof of pregnancy. The AIM has helped many pregnant women with low family income that might not have been able to provide for the care of their new born.