Committee finds S.18 favorable after testimony on $250 birth‑center licensing fee

The committee found S.18, a bill to license freestanding birth centers in Vermont, favorable by a 10–1 vote after testimony on licensing rules, a $250 application fee, inspections and potential Medicaid implications.

The bill would add a chapter to Title 18 to authorize the Vermont Department of Health to license and regulate freestanding birth centers, require inspections at initial licensing, renewal and ownership changes, and deposit fees into the hospital licensing fees special fund. It also directs the Agency of Human Services to seek federal approval for Vermont Medicaid to cover birth‑center services and exempts qualifying birth centers from the state’s certificate‑of‑need rules.

Supporters described the centers as low‑risk, homelike facilities staffed by midwives and other maternity providers. "They're essentially places to provide maternity care, perinatal care, outside of a hospital and specifically devoted to that level of care," said Lauren Layman, general counsel for the Vermont Department of Health. Layman said the department would develop rules, partner with the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living for inspections, and that a single $250 fee would cover the licensure and inspection event at…