Committee approves Medicaid coverage for birth centers but rejects private‑insurer parity bill

The Labor, Health & Social Services Committee voted March 17 to advance 26LSO162, a bill that would authorize Wyoming Medicaid to enroll freestanding birth centers as facilities and reimburse a facility fee, and to withhold 26LSO237, a separate bill seeking private-insurer payment parity for birth-center services.

Testimony: Lisonbee Hayek, co-owner of Wyoming’s first freestanding birth center in Cheyenne, described accreditation and licensure work and told the committee that birth centers specialize in normal vaginal birth, have lower cesarean rates and lower facility costs than hospital delivery rooms. She said Medicaid currently pays midwives professional fees but lacks a facility taxonomy code to pay a facility fee to birth centers.

Jesse Springer, interim Medicaid…