Legislative News

Massachusetts Legislature (8/15/24)

H4999  An Act promoting access to midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth options passed in informal sessions and is scheduled to be signed by Governor Maura Healey

A few highlights of the bill regarding midwives and birth centers:

• Establishes a pathway to licensure for Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs)
• Creates a majority-CPM board of midwifery to oversee CPM licensure
• Empowers the board of midwifery to develop rules and regulations including clinical criteria around low risk pregnancies.
• No malpractice insurance mandate in statute, and the board "may" set any such requirements.
• Authorizes CPMs to obtain, carry, and administer medications within their clinical scope of practice.
• Requires MassHealth to cover CPM care.
• Requires  the Department of Public Health to update regulations governing  freestanding birth centers, with input from birth center stakeholders  and aligned with AABC standards
• Allows CPMs and Nurse Midwives  to serve as clinical directors for freestanding birth centers  (previously, only physicians could hold this role).
• Allows CPMs  to serve as birth attendants in freestanding birth centers (previously,  only Nurse Midwives or physicians could hold this role).
• Requires that MassHealth reimburse Nurse Midwives at the same rate as physicians for the same services.  Read more

Boston University School of Public Health (4/25/24)

This story, written by DrPH student Omonyele Adjognon and senior COM  student Lauren Fox, examines the longstanding challenges to opening and  operating freestanding, midwife-assisted birth centers in Massachusetts  and updates the arduous journey of alum Nashira Baril (SPH’06) and her fight to open the Neighborhood Birth Center in Roxbury. Read more