What to know about Massachusetts' new maternal health law
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Gov. Maura Healey signed a maternal health reform bill into law last week, increasing access to midwives and doula care.
Why it matters: Even in a state with world-renowned hospitals, Black women are more than twice as likely than white women to experience complications from labor.
- The new law aims to reduce the chances childbirth will turn deadly.
Zoom in: The new law creates a state midwifery license with a board of registration to oversee regulations and credentialing, as well as a state license for lactation consultants.
- The new law also requires MassHealth to cover midwifery and doula services up to 12 months postpartum.
- Insurance companies will also have to cover postpartum depression screenings for anyone who had a child or lost a pregnancy recently.
Between the lines: The reform law creates a foundation for integrating midwifery into the state's health care sector, says Rebecca Herman, a certified professional midwife (CPM) based in Massachusetts and licensed in New Hampshire.
- It won't change the culture of health care overnight, but the new regulations and licenses could help the industry better understand and respect midwives and doulas, advocates say.
What they're saying: The difference between Massachusetts and New Hampshire, which licenses midwives already, is stark, Herman tells Axios.
- Even when dealing with unfamiliar doctors in New Hampshire, "They know exactly what [being a CPM] means. … They know my minimum qualifications, and we can just jump right into the business of caring for the patient."
- In Massachusetts, she says she hears, "I don't even know what a CPM is. Do you even have any training?"
What's next: The state will let already licensed midwives start writing prescriptions in Massachusetts within six months under the law.
- The midwifery board will have to start licensing midwives within a year of finalizing regulations.
- Rules for screenings and other maternal health services will have to be set in a matter of months.
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