Requires Rhode Island Medicaid to cover services provided by licensed certified professional midwives and to collect utilization and cost data, while allowing limits consistent with Medicaid rules.

Rhode Island Medicaid Midwife Coverage Bill

This bill would require Rhode Island's Medicaid program to pay for healthcare services provided by licensed certified professional midwives (CPMs). Certified professional midwives are trained specialists who assist with pregnancy, childbirth, and related care, often supporting out-of-hospital births such as home births or births at freestanding birth centers. Currently, Medicaid in Rhode Island does not automatically cover these providers, meaning low-income patients who rely on Medicaid may not be able to access midwife-assisted care without paying out of pocket.

Under this bill, Medicaid would be required to include CPM services as a covered benefit, though the program could still set reasonable limits on that coverage as long as those limits follow standard federal Medicaid rules. This means the state has some flexibility in determining exactly how the benefit works, but it cannot simply exclude CPMs from coverage altogether. The bill also directs the state to collect data on how often these services are used and what they cost, which would help lawmakers and health officials understand the real-world impact of the policy over time.

The people most directly affected are low-income Rhode Islanders who are pregnant or planning to give birth and rely on Medicaid for their health coverage. For these individuals, the bill could expand their choices for maternity care by making midwife-assisted births a financially accessible option. Healthcare providers — specifically licensed certified professional midwives — would also be affected, as they would gain the ability to be reimbursed by Medicaid for their services. The bill has been introduced and referred to the House Finance Committee, where it will be reviewed before any further action is taken.