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Midwifery and birth‑center advocates seek continued action after 2024 maternal health law
Summary
Groups representing midwives, birth centers and consumer advocates said last year’s maternal‑health omnibus produced concrete changes and asked the committee to advance additional reimbursement, workforce and data proposals this session.
Consumer and provider advocates told the committee that last year’s omnibus maternal‑health law created new paths to expand midwifery and out‑of‑hospital birth options, and they urged the Joint Committee on Financial Services to continue work on reimbursement parity, workforce development and access to birth centers.
Why it matters: Advocates argued that midwifery and birth‑center care improves outcomes, enhances patient experience and can lower costs. They noted that MassHealth parity for certified nurse midwives went into effect on January 1 and that early examples are showing increased hiring and capacity when reimbursement is improved.
Emily Anesta of Baystate Birth Coalition and Katharine Reschwirth, certified nurse‑midwife and policy director for Neighborhood Birth Center, described how last year’s act created licensing pathways for certified professional midwives and improved reimbursement in some areas. Reschwirth said MassHealth reimbursement parity for nurse midwives “went into effect on January 1” and that Baystate had already hired six additional midwives who will serve an estimated 400 additional families.
Speakers asked the committee to continue work on remaining reimbursement inequities, birth‑center openings and workforce pipelines, and offered to provide data, clinicians and survivor testimony to inform legislation.
Provenance: Remarks on maternal health and midwifery began at transcript block 6539.61 and continued through 6887.87.
