Committee reviews amended S.18 to license birth centers, set fees and timeline for Medicaid coverage

A strike-all amendment to S.18, presented Feb. 28 to the Senate Health & Welfare committee, would establish a licensing framework for birth centers, define scope-of-service and provider categories, set licensing fees and timelines for rulemaking, and direct the Agency of Human Services to seek federal approval so Vermont Medicaid can reimburse birth-center services.

Jen Carvey, presenting the amendment, described substantial structural changes from the bill as introduced: a new definition of “birth center” as a facility whose primary purpose is midwifery care, low-risk deliveries and newborn care with generally less-than-24-hour stays; a broader definition of “licensed maternity care provider”; and a $250 fee for initial licenses, renewals and change-of-ownership filings to be deposited in the hospital licensing fees special fund.

The amendment centralizes many operational and safety standards in Department of Health rulemaking.…