The short answer: Sometimes. It depends on your insurance plan, your state and your midwife's credential. Some state Medicaid programs cover home births, some only with certain providers. Many midwives also offer self-pay prices, payment plans or paperwork you can send to your insurance yourself.
By Sybille Mom of two · first birth in a hospital, second at home · Education only, not medical advice
I know insurance isn't the most romantic part of planning a birth. 😄 But it's one of the most useful calls you'll make, and the earlier you make it, the more relaxed you'll feel.
Here's the honest truth: there's no single answer. Coverage depends on three things, so let's take them one at a time.
1. Your midwife's credential
In the US, home birth midwives usually hold one of two credentials. A certified nurse-midwife (CNM) is a nurse with graduate midwifery education, licensed in every state. A certified professional midwife (CPM) specializes in birth at home and in birth centers, and is licensed in 37 states and DC (ACNM comparison).
Insurance plans and Medicaid programs often treat these credentials differently, so ask every midwife which one she holds.
2. Your state, if you have Medicaid
Medicaid coverage for home birth differs from state to state (KFF). Some programs cover it, some only when a physician or a certified nurse-midwife attends, and some require prior approval. Ask your state's Medicaid office.
Check your state's Medicaid program to see what its pregnancy and postpartum coverage includes. Whether it covers a particular home birth midwife is a question to ask both Medicaid and the midwife directly.
3. Your plan, if you have private insurance
Private plans vary a lot. Some pay for home birth with an in-network midwife, some pay part of it as out-of-network care, and some don't pay for it at all. Many midwives can help. For example, one midwife's practice says it bills insurance, and another lists separate pricing for a limited number of insurance plans.
The call to make
Call the number on the back of your insurance card and ask:
- Do you cover a planned home birth? What about a birth center birth?
- Do you cover a certified nurse-midwife? A certified professional midwife?
- Is this midwife in network? If not, how much would you pay out of network?
- What would I pay for labs, ultrasounds and the newborn's care?
- If my plans change and I go to the hospital, what would that cost?
- Do I need prior approval for any of this?
Write down the date, the name of the person you spoke with and what they said. Future you will be so grateful.
If insurance won't pay
You still have options. Many midwives offer a self-pay price, a payment plan or a sliding scale. Some accept HSA and FSA payments. Here's how to find out what a home birth costs.
Whatever you choose, talk it through with an experienced midwife and your care provider. Your midwife has helped many families through this exact question.
Questions moms ask
Does Medicaid cover home birth?
In some states. Coverage differs from state to state, and some programs only cover certain providers. Ask your state's Medicaid office and your midwife.
Does insurance cover a birth center?
Many plans cover birth center care, but it depends on your plan and the birth center's network. Call your insurance company and ask the birth center which plans it accepts.
Will insurance cover a hospital transfer?
Hospital care is usually billed separately from a midwife's package, so ask your insurance company how they'd cover it before labor.
Can I get reimbursed after the birth?
Some plans reimburse out-of-network care after you submit the paperwork. Ask your midwife whether she provides a claim form or receipt for your insurance.
What should I ask a midwife about insurance?
Ask whether she bills insurance, which plans she works with, what her self-pay price is and whether she offers payment plans.
