On August 23rd, Governor Maura Healy of Massachusetts signed an act promoting access to midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth options into law. This comprehensive maternal health bill focused on expanding midwifery coverage to include certified professional midwives (CPMs), birth centers, doulas, and screening and treatment options for postpartum depression.
MassHealth is Massachusetts Medicaid and CHIP program. Under this new legislation MassHealth will be required to cover doula services for pregnant people up to 12 months postpartum. There is also a coverage requirement for MassHealth members who are new parents or have suffered from a perinatal loss. Other aspects of the legislation include establishment of a new grant program for non-profits or community-based health centers to address mental health conditions, behavioral health conditions or substance use disorders for perinatal individuals.
A significant part of the legislation focuses on the establishment of the Board of Registration in Midwifery within the Department of Public Health. This board will consist of 9 appointed members that establish regulations for midwifery care and oversee the licensure process. This new board creates a framework for certified professional midwives (CPMs) to obtain state licensure. The MA legislature defines licensed CPMs as “Licensed certified professional midwife”, a midwife licensed to practice by the board of registration in midwifery pursuant to section 293 of chapter 112.” MassHealth will also be required to cover midwifery services for all licensed midwives– both certified nurse-midwives and CPMs.
This legislation seeks to honor and center a birthing person’s right to choose how and where they give birth. The MA Department of Health (DPH) will regulate freestanding birth centers including the enforcement of requirements such as minimum staffing standards. Lawmakers sought to encourage establishment of more free-standing birth centers with the support of other local birth advocacy organizations.
The MA DPH is also tasked with creating a new program to provide universal postpartum home visiting services and mandate insurance coverage of these services.
The Executive Office of Health and Human Services will establish a task force to report on maternal health access and birthing patient safety with a focus on access inequities. The maternal health crisis is worse for Black and Brown communities and this new state law has the potential to help alleviate some of the disparities that currently exist in maternal health care included postpartum mental health care.
Read the text of the new law here.
