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• What are my annual in-network deductibles?
• How much of my in-network deductible have I met so far this year?
• Is the deductible based on a calendar year? If not, when does it start and end?
• Does my deductible count towards my out-of-pocket max?
• What is my co-insurance rate for in-network coverage?
• What is my individual out of pocket maximum for in-network coverage?
• Does my plan cover midwives?
• I plan to deliver at Stamford Hospital, can you confirm that this facility is in-network? The NPI for the facility is #1356331425

Our care team of midwives and OBGYNs will center consent, preferences, and compassion in all aspects of your care. Cultural competency around gender identity, sexual orientation and race is core to our mission to provide equitable gynecological care to all. 

No - gynecology care is open to all, regardless of whether you have given birth with our practice. 

Your Annual Wellness Visit will be focused on preventative care and will include routine exams such as a pap smear, pelvic exam, bloodwork, and a breast exam. Your midwife or OBGYN will take the time to get to know you as a whole person, understanding how your health is intertwined with your family, community, work and home. 

Note: Any separate problems or IUD insertion/removal is covered in a separate visit from your annual exam. 

It is generally recommended to have a gynecological exam annually. All routine exams are covered in our Annual Wellness Visit. 

We provide both in-person and virtual gynecology care. For any virtual visit, we may have to see you for an in-person follow up, depending on each individual circumstance and need. 

• Annual Wellness Visit: Your annual exam focused on preventative care, including pap smear, pelvic exam, bloodwork, and breast exam. 
• Virtual Counseling: See us virtually for prescription needs, contraception counseling, and UTI evaluation. 
• In-Person Visits: See us in person for STI screening, pain, bleeding, discharge or other concerns. 
• Note: We don’t provide colposcopy, pelvic ultrasounds, mammograms or other minor or major gynecological surgeries. If you and your provider determine these options are clinically necessary, we will ensure a warm referral to one of our vetted imaging or surgical partners of your choosing. 

• Commercial
  • Anthem BCBS
  • CarePartners of CT
  • Cigna
  • Claritev
  • Connecticare
  • Emblem Health
  • Prime Health Services
• Medicaid
  • Husky Health

Yes! Email us at hello@oulahealth.com and we are happy to help. If you have specific questions about hospital billing, you also have access to Stamford Hospital’s Billing support.  

While it can vary by health plan, typically we bill your insurance company: 

• For the first visit 
• For the “global” bill after your delivery which covers all the prenatal visits, except the first visit, the labor & delivery, and a postpartum visit 
• For any visits, tests, ultrasounds, procedures that occur during prenatal care that aren’t considered part of the “global” bill. 

Oula provided by Stamford Health is a collaborative midwifery-led practice that offers hospital-based births. So, when it is time for you to have your baby, you’ll head to Stamford Hospital.  

A hospital environment allows both “high risk” and “low risk” births to take place there. If your birth requires medical interventions (such as a cesarean birth) to keep you or your baby safe, your midwives and OBGYNs will be with you throughout to help you understand what is happening. If you have a planned or un-planned c-section, your OBGYN will provide the expert surgical care needed and they will round on you daily after your surgery to provide any medical support needed during your hospital stay. 

We have access to world-class medical care and can collaborate with obstetricians, pediatricians, or neonatologists who can respond and participate in your care with a moment’s notice. 

Pregnancy care is covered by most insurance plans. However, out-of-pocket costs (or the portion that is not covered by insurance) varies depending on your plan and benefit package. Generally coverage and out of pocket costs fall into these categories:   

• Prenatal & postpartum visits (billed by Oula provided by Stamford Health) 
• Routine testing, genetic screening, outside ultrasounds (billed by the lab or imaging center) 
• Delivery (billed by Oula provided by Stamford Health) 
• Other common ancillary services (billed by that service provider) 

For pregnancy care, we are in-network with many of the plans from the below commercial insurers and Medicaid. Note that each insurance company has dozens of plans, so we'll need to verify the eligibility of your exact plan.  

Commercial:

• Aetna
• Anthem BCBS
• CarePartners of Connecticut
• CHN PPO
• Cigna
• Connecticare
• Coventry / First health
• Emblem GHI / HIP
• Magnacare / Brighton Health Plans Solutions
• Multiplan / PHCS
• Oxford
• Prime Health Services
• UMR
• United HealthCare
• TRICARE
• Wellcare

Medicaid:

• Husky Health

For labor & delivery, we recommend verifying with your health plan that Stamford Hospital (NPI# 1356331425) is an in-network hospital. Note: If your insurance company is not listed above, feel free to reach out to us directly to check the status as we are currently contracting with additional health plans in Connecticut. You can reach us at (203) 349-2950 or hello@oulahealth.com. 

If you’d like to transition your care to our practice during your pregnancy, we are happy to work with your existing providers to get access to your existing medical records. Oula provided by Stamford Health is a full-scope clinical care provider so you would transfer to our care team for the remainder of your pregnancy journey. 

We do not offer home birth services. All patients at Oula provided by Stamford Health deliver at Stamford Hospital. 

We use a collaborative care model, which means that we integrate both obstetricians and midwives. Our obstetricians follow a traditional M.D. training pathway, with four years of medical school and four years of residency. Our midwives follow a certified nurse midwife (CNM) training pathway. They complete a graduate program in midwifery, which includes 500-1,000 hours of clinical practice. OBGYNs and CNMs are required to pass national certification exams. To meet your care team at Oula provided by Stamford Health, click ​​here. 

• Oula provided by Stamford Health combines the best of midwifery and obstetrics for a comprehensive pregnancy experience. This means centering your physical, mental, and emotional needs throughout the entire journey – before, during and after pregnancy. We treat pregnancy and birth as natural physiological processes, and only use medical interventions such as c-sections when absolutely necessary.  

• You'll have midwives and OBGYNs as part of your care team, who are focused on integrating the latest evidence-based practices, equipping you with the right information, and championing shared decision-making. We're also built with your convenience in mind, providing options for virtual visits, remote monitoring, and communication with your care team. Through the Oula portal, you can book your appointments, track your progress, and make informed decisions about your preferences. 

Yes! You can now see an OBGYN more regularly throughout your care journey based on personal preference, not just risk. Ask anyone on your care team and we’ll get you scheduled.

• Midwives are licensed health care professionals that are trained to provide expert nonsurgical care to women from puberty to menopause. This includes pregnancy, from prenatal care to delivery and neonatal care. While a midwife’s experience and area of expertise is in low-risk pregnancies, they are trained to identify complications and work with obstetricians in higher risk situations. Most pregnancies and births are considered low-risk and can be led by a midwife. 
• Check out our blog post: What actually is a midwife? 

What to expect from Preconception Counseling: 

• A personalized review of your medical history 
• A guide to cycle and ovulation tracking 
• An overview of genetic testing options 
• How to prepare your body for conception 
• Co-creation of a personalized preconception plan 
• A space to discuss your hopes, fears, and address questions and concerns 
• Compassionate & evidence-based guidance from our experienced team of clinicians

What this offering does not include:  

• Fertility diagnostics or treatments for those actively struggling to conceive. We’d be happy to refer you to one of our fertility clinic partners for that! 

Preconception Counseling is available for those who are just beginning their conception journey! As of today, we do not provide care for infertility. For those who are struggling to conceive, we’d be happy to refer you to one of our fertility clinic partners instead. 

You should book Preconception Counseling when you are thinking about pregnancy and family planning! We'll review your unique medical history and work together to create a tailored plan for your individual timeline and needs. 

Your provider will take the time to do a personalized review of your medical history, understand any preexisting conditions you may have, and discuss your lifestyle and any other factors to assess individual risk and make a plan that's right for you. 

• Commercial
  • Anthem BCBS
  • CarePartners of CT
  • Cigna
  • Claritev
  • Connecticare
  • Emblem Health
  • Prime Health Services
• Medicaid
  • Husky Health

Yes! Your support person is important to you and us. We also welcome your support person into some of our group class offerings. 

We love doulas! And they can be a valuable addition to your care team, but play a different role than your midwife and OBGYN. A doula is a non-medical member of the birth team that provides continuous emotional and physical support, from when your labor begins at-home until you’re back at home with your baby. While OBs and midwives make medical decisions and deliver your baby, doulas serve as a coach, advocate, and resource. This continuous support is an evidence-based method of reducing c-section and other intervention rates throughout the course of labor. Many doulas have particular expertise in pain coping techniques, including comforting touch and massage, breathing and meditation, and acupressure. You can find doulas in a wide range of budgets, some with sliding scale fees, and we’re happy to help match you. Read more about doulas on our blog. 

Our care model follows ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) guidelines and layers in additional touchpoints to ensure that you have a throughline of support, starting as early as a positive pregnancy test. It's standard to have monthly visits starting around week 10, that move to bi-weekly, and then finally weekly leading up to your due date. We also offer some of these as virtual visits, as well as a few optional group virtual educational workshops. Watch our quick video on collaborative care. 

If you have any higher risk conditions before or during pregnancy, you’ll be scheduled for an appointment either virtually or in-person with an Oula OBGYN. You will continue to see the OBGYN more regularly throughout your pregnancy, along with the Oula midwives.

• At the clinic: You will see a midwife for the majority of your prenatal appointments at the clinic. OBGYNs are involved in your prenatal care too! They are monitoring all pregnancies, working hand-in-hand with our midwives, even if you don’t see them regularly. However, we understand that your care should reflect your individual needs and preferences. If you want to see OBGYNs more frequently throughout your care journey, just ask anyone on your care team and we'll get you scheduled. 
• At the hospital: Both midwives and OBGYNs are at the hospital 24/7 to support all of our patients. If you have a planned or un-planned c-section, your OBGYN will provide the expert surgical care needed and they will round on you daily after your surgery to provide any medical support needed during your hospital stay. 

If you have any higher risk conditions during pregnancy, you’ll be scheduled for an appointment either virtually or in-person with an OBGYN. You will continue to see the OBGYN more regularly throughout your pregnancy, along with your midwives. There are instances where we may also refer you to specialists, depending on your individual circumstances.  

Yes! You can see an OBGYN more regularly throughout your care journey based on personal preference. Ask anyone on your care team and we’ll get you scheduled. 

• Your pregnancy care starts with an in-person or virtual intake visit, regardless of where you are in your pregnancy. We'll see you as soon as you get a positive pregnancy test.  
• Transferring your care to us from another practice? Please make sure to send your records to us well ahead of your appointment. 

Unfortunately, no. That said, we are big fans of using water for pain relief, and recommend spending plenty of time in the bath while laboring at home during the early stages of labor. 

Yes! Birth can be painful, but we can help you build a toolkit to avoid suffering, and reduce or relieve your pain. We're judgement-free about whether you'd prefer to be medicated or unmedicated, and you're also welcome to change your mind! In the hospital, you will have the option of medicated pain relief: either epidural or IV narcotics such as Morphine or Stadol.

It's important to chat through the pros and cons of these options with your care team. If you’d prefer an unmedicated birth, your midwife and doula (if you have one) can guide you through breathwork, acupressure, and massage. Even if you plan to have an epidural in labor, you will likely experience some pain, so it is important to plan non-medicated support and comfort measures as well. 

Stamford Hospital’s maternity unit has visitor guidelines to ensure the safety and well-being of all patients and newborns. There is a patient-led visitor policy that allows you, as the patient, to determine who can visit during your stay. Your care team will work closely with you to accommodate your preferences while maintaining a secure and supportive environment for all. 

Yes, we love doulas! And Stamford Health encourages and supports your choice to have a doula or labor coach as part of your birthing team at the hospital. Your midwives and OBGYNs will collaborate closely with doulas and labor coaches to ensure a seamless and supportive birthing experience for you. 

• It's very common for people to wonder about the optimal distance between their home and the hospital! We can tell you that patients come from all across CT and Westchester to have their babies at Stamford Hospital. 
• When your contractions begin, you'll give us a call, and we'll decide together when it's time to leave for the hospital. Most of the time we'll encourage you to stay home for a while longer, and we'll be in constant contact about how you're feeling and the timing of your contractions. We'll also take into account where you are coming from, and how you will be getting to the hospital, to ensure you aren't cutting it close. 
• We should also note that, especially for first time moms, labor often lasts many hours! Despite what the movies may have us think, labor very rarely involves a "rush to the hospital." As long as you call us right at the beginning, we'll be able to coach you through the right timing.  

At the clinic: You will see a midwife for the majority of your prenatal appointments at the Oula clinic. Oula OBGYNs are involved in your prenatal care too! They are monitoring all pregnancies, working hand-in-hand with our midwives, even if you don’t see them regularly. However, we understand that your care should reflect your individual needs and preferences. If you want to see Oula OBGYNs more frequently throughout your care journey, just ask anyone on your care team and we'll get you scheduled.

At the hospital: Both Oula midwives and OBGYNs are at the hospital 24/7 to support all Oula patients. If you have a planned or un-planned c-section, the Oula OBGYN will provide the expert surgical care needed and they will round on you daily after your surgery to provide any medical support needed during your hospital stay.

Yes, we do! We are in-network with most major insurance providers, including some Medicaid carriers. Note that each insurance company has dozens of plans, so we’ll need to verify the eligibility of your exact plan.

Your provider will take the time to do a personalized review of your medical history, understand any preexisting conditions you may have, and understand your lifestyle to assess individual risk and make a plan that's right for you.

You should book Preconception Counseling when you are thinking about pregnancy and family planning! We'll review your unique medical history and work together to create a tailored plan for your individual timeline and needs.

Preconception Counseling at Oula is available for those who are just beginning their conception journey! As of today, we do not provide care for infertility. For those who are struggling to conceive, we’d be happy to refer you to one of our fertility clinic partners instead.

What to expect from Preconception Counseling:

• A personalized review of your medical history
• A guide to cycle and ovulation tracking
• An overview of genetic testing options
• How to prepare your body for conception
• Co-creation of a personalized preconception plan
• A space to discuss your hopes, fears, and address questions and concerns
• Compassionate & evidence-based guidance from our experienced team

What this offering does not include: 

• Fertility diagnostics or treatments for those actively struggling to conceive. We’d be happy to refer you to one of our fertility clinic partners for that!

Yes! We are in-network with many of the plans from the below commercial and Medicaid carriers. One of our trusted care navigators will guide you through verifying eligibility of your exact plan.

• Commercial:
  • Aetna
  • Cigna
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Anthem
  • Emblem HIP and Emblem GHI
  • Oscar
  • Centivo
  • Oxford Health Plans
  • United Healthcare
• Medicaid:
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield HealthPlus

• Annual Wellness Visit: Your annual exam focused on preventative care, including pap smear, pelvic exam, bloodwork, and breast exam.
• GYN Virtual Counseling: See us virtually for prescription needs, contraception counseling, and UTI evaluation.
• GYN In-Person Visit: See us in person for STI screening, pain, bleeding, discharge or other concerns.
• Note: We don’t provide colposcopy, pelvic ultrasounds, mammograms or other minor or major gynecological surgeries. If you and your Oula provider determine these options are clinically necessary, we will ensure a warm referral to one of our vetted imaging or surgical partners of your choosing.

We provide both in-person and virtual gynecology care. For any virtual visit, we may have to see you for an in-person follow up, depending on each individual circumstance and need.

At Oula, we provide judgment-free gynecological care. Our midwives and OBGYNs take the time to get to know you, focusing on your health history, physical health, emotional health, and goals for the future. Whether you’re due for your annual, navigating a gynecologic issue, or planning to start a family, we’ll support you at every stage of your journey.

It is generally recommended to have a gynecological exam annually. All routine exams are covered in Oula’s Annual Wellness Visit.

Your annual wellness visit will be focused on preventative care and will include routine exams such as a pap smear, pelvic exam, bloodwork, and a breast exam. Oula midwives & OBs will take the time to get to know you as a whole person, understanding how your health is intertwined with your family, community, work and home.

Note: Any separate problems or IUD insertion/removal is covered in a separate visit from your annual exam.

No - gynecology care is open to all, regardless of whether you have given birth with Oula!

Our care team of midwives and OBs will center consent, preference and non-judgment in all aspects of your care. Cultural competency around gender identity, sexual orientation and race is core to our mission to provide equitable gynecological care to all.

While we can work to make your hospital birth home-like, the hospital has its own systems and protocols that are designed to keep everyone safe. We believe our patients and their babies benefit from the safety net of your Oula midwives and doctors who work in strong collaboration with the nurses and physicians at the hospital. 

With every Oula birth, the midwifery team will be taking care of you throughout your labor and birth, and will continue to check on you during your postpartum stay.

• Aetna
• Cigna
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Anthem
• Emblem HIP and Emblem GHI
• Oscar
• Centivo
• Oxford Health Plans
• United Healthcare

• Blue Cross Blue Shield HealthPlus

Pregnancy care is covered by most insurance plans. However, out-of-pocket costs (or the portion that is not covered by insurance) varies depending on your plan and benefit package. Generally coverage and out of pocket costs fall into these categories:  

1. Prenatal & postpartum visits (billed by Oula)
2. Routine testing, genetic screening, outside ultrasounds (billed by the lab or imaging center)
3. Delivery (billed partially by Oula and partially by the hospital)
4. Other common ancillary services (billed by that service provider)

Oula uses a collaborative care model, which means that we leverage both obstetricians and midwives. Our obstetricians follow a traditional M.D. or D.O. training pathway, with four years of medical school and four years of residency. Our midwives follow a certified nurse midwife (CNM) or certified midwife (CM) training pathway. They complete a graduate program in midwifery, which includes 500-1,000 hours of clinical practice. OBGYNs, CNMs, and CMs are required to pass national certification exams.

There are lots of reasons we chose to deliver at Mt Sinai West. One of the most popular birth centers in NYC history used to be based within Mt Sinai West. Although it is now closed, the hospital is committed to policies, procedures, and even a culture, that allow low-risk patients to be cared for in a similar way. For example, allowing intermittent monitoring, offering hydrotherapy (tubs!), nitrous oxide, and other alternatives for pain management, etc.

Additionally, we think it’s important that all the other providers you may engage with while in the hospital (OBs who help with emergencies, Maternal Fetal Medicine specialists who care for high-risk patients, etc), are aligned with the benefits of midwifery care and enthusiastic about collaborating. Mt Sinai West has a long history of doing that. And an added bonus: the majority of our current and upcoming clinical team members have already worked at Mt Sinai West and are very familiar with how to navigate it.

To learn more about our approach to birth and labor, watch this video.

Today, all Oula babies are born at the hospital. We do not offer home birth services.

Midwives are licensed health care professionals that are trained to provide expert nonsurgical care to women from puberty to menopause. This includes pregnancy, from prenatal care to delivery and neonatal care. While a midwife’s experience and area of expertise is in low-risk pregnancies, they are trained to identify complications and work with obstetricians in emergency situations. For most birthing parents, their pregnancy is low-risk and can be led by a midwife.

Check out our blog post: What actually is a midwife?

It's very common for people to wonder about the optimal distance between their home and the hospital! We can tell you that patients come to Mt Sinai West from all 5 boroughs (and even New Jersey and Westchester!) to have their babies. 

When your contractions begin, you'll give us a call, and we'll decide together when it's time to leave for the hospital. Most of the time we'll encourage you to stay home for a while longer, and we'll be in constant contact about how you're feeling and the timing of your contractions. We'll also take into account where you are coming from, and how you will be getting to the hospital, to ensure you aren't cutting it close.

We should also note that, especially for first time moms, labor often lasts many hours! Despite what the movies may have us think, labor very rarely involves a "rush to the hospital." As long as you call us right at the beginning, we'll be able to coach you through the right timing. 

We love doulas at Oula, and our name is actually a nod toward their wonderful care and proven results. A doula is a non-medical member of the birth team that provides continuous emotional and physical support, from when your labor begins at-home until you’re back at home with your baby. While OBs and midwives make medical decisions and deliver your baby, doulas serve as a coach, advocate, and resource. This continuous support is an evidence-based method of reducing c-section and other intervention rates throughout the course of labor. Many doulas have particular expertise in pain coping techniques, including comforting touch and massage, breathing and meditation, and acupressure. You can find doulas in a wide range of budgets, some with sliding scale fees, and we’re happy to help match you. Read more about doulas on our blog.

Yes! Your support person is important to you and us. We also welcome your support person into some of our group class offerings.

From demystifying cycle tracking and fertile windows to preparing for genetic testing, Preconception Counseling at Oula goes beyond traditional care and offers personalized support, uniquely tailored to meet your needs. 

What to expect from Preconception Counseling: 

• A personalized review of your medical history 
• A guide to cycle and ovulation tracking
• An overview of genetic testing options 
• How to prepare your body for conception
• Co-creation of a personalized preconception plan
• A space to discuss your hopes, fears, and address questions and concerns
• Compassionate & evidence-based guidance from our experienced team 

What this offering does not include: 

• Fertility diagnostics or treatments for those actively struggling to conceive. We’d be happy to refer you to one of our fertility clinic partners for that!

Oula offers virtual Preconception Counseling for those ready to start their pregnancy journey. This offering does not include fertility diagnostics or treatments for those actively struggling to conceive. If you've already been trying for 6 months, we'd recommend you see a fertility clinic instead and we are happy to refer you!

Yes! Birth can be painful, but we can help you build a toolkit to avoid suffering, and reduce or relieve your pain. We're judgement-free about whether you'd prefer to be medicated or unmedicated, and you're also welcome to change your mind! In the hospital, you will have the option of 3 types of medicated pain relief: Epidural, Nitrous Oxide, and IV narcotics such as Morphine or Stadol. It's important to chat through the pros and cons of these options with your care team. If you’d prefer an unmedicated birth, your midwife and doula (if you have one) can guide you through breathwork, acupressure and massage, and you may even have a birthing ball and warm tub available as well. Even if you plan to have an epidural in labor, you will likely experience some pain, so it is important to plan non-medicated support and comfort measures as well.

Unfortunately, no. Many of the rooms do have small bathtubs and you are welcome to use them during labor, but hospital policy does not allow birth to happen in the tub. That said, we are big fans of using water for pain relief, and recommend spending plenty of time in the bath while laboring at home during the early stages of labor.

Like most things in healthcare, the answer is unfortunately "it depends", based on your individual insurance plan. Below we have a set of questions to ask your insurance plan to clarify your benefits for prenatal care. We are happy to talk you through these questions and the answers you get back from your health plan:

• What are my annual in-network deductibles?
• How much of my in-network deductible have I met so far this year?
• Is the deductible based on a calendar year? If not, when does it start and end?
• Does my deductible count towards my out-of-pocket max?
• What is my co-insurance rate for in-network coverage?
• What is my individual out of pocket maximum for in-network coverage?
• Does my plan cover midwives?
• I plan to deliver at Mount Sinai West, can you confirm that this facility is in-network? The NPI for the facility is 1104982917

While it can vary by health plan, typically we bill your insurance company:

• For the first visit
• For the “global” bill after your delivery which covers all the prenatal visits, except the first visit, the labor & delivery, and a postpartum visit
• For any visits, tests, ultrasounds, procedures that occur during prenatal care that aren’t considered part of the “global” bill. 

Yes! Email us at hello@oulahealth.com and we are happy to help.