Witness Urges Health & Welfare Committee to Clear Path for Freestanding Birth Centers

Dr. Timothy J. Fisher, an obstetrician-gynecologist and former medical director of the Northern New England Perinatal Quality Improvement Network, testified in support of Senate Bill 18 at a Health & Welfare Committee hearing, urging lawmakers to establish a licensing structure and require insurance coverage for freestanding birth centers while exempting them from certificate-of-need review.

Fisher said accredited birth centers “are an integral part of many regionalized care systems” and cited professional guidance and published studies to argue that birth centers can improve outcomes and lower costs for many low- and moderate-risk pregnancies. He told the committee that findings from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Strong Start initiative showed lower rates of preterm birth, low birth…