Requires health insurance plans to cover services provided by licensed certified professional midwives. Insurers would be required to report utilization and cost data annually and certain limited benefit policies would be exempt.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would require health insurance plans in Rhode Island to cover maternity and birth-related services provided by licensed certified professional midwives (CPMs). Currently, insurance plans may not be required to pay for these services, meaning people who choose a CPM for pregnancy and childbirth care — such as those planning a home birth or using a birth center — may have to pay out of pocket even if they have health insurance. This bill would change that by making insurance coverage of CPM services mandatory.

The bill affects pregnant people and families who prefer or need midwife-assisted care outside of a traditional hospital setting, as well as the certified professional midwives who provide those services. It would also affect health insurance companies, who would be required to include CPM services in their coverage offerings. Additionally, insurers would need to report data annually on how often these services are used and what they cost, which would help lawmakers track the real-world impact of the change. Certain limited-benefit insurance policies — plans that only cover specific, narrow services — would be exempt from this requirement.

The bill was introduced in the Rhode Island House and referred to the House Health & Human Services Committee. As of its most recent action, the committee has recommended holding it for further study, meaning it has not yet moved forward to a full vote. A hearing is currently scheduled for February 2026.