A bill aimed at improving maternal health outcomes in Massachusetts is on its way to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk after receiving final approval from state lawmakers.
At present, Massachusetts offers no pathway to licensure for certified professional midwives or lactation consultants. That’s just one policy that would change upon the bill’s signing.
Other provisions codify Medicaid coverage for midwife and doula services, require private insurance coverage for donor breast milk and perinatal mental health screenings, encourage the creation of freestanding birth centers, and establish a task force to evaluate access to maternal health care across the state.
The comprehensive legislation comes amid rising rates of maternal mortality and pregnancy-related complications across the Bay State. It combines aspects of various proposals that all targeted the same goal: expanding available care options for pregnant and postpartum women, particularly in rural and underserved communities….