Legislation

Virginia Midwives: It's time to take action!

The Midwifery Care Access and Reimbursement Equity Act of 2009 (H.R.1101/S. 662) was introduced by Rep. Ed Towns (D-NY) and Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Senators Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Susan Collins (R-ME) in early 2009 and its time for nurse-midwives to start making phone calls or visit your legislators in D.C.!

As you know, this legislation will correct an inequity in the rate of reimbursement for services provided by CNMs within the Medicare program. Currently, we receive only 65% of what physicians receive, serving as a barrier for women's access to midwifery care.

In the state of Virginia, midwives are reimbursed at the SAME rate as physicians under Medicaid. This is an excellent argument as to why we should receive the same under Medicare too.

In addition, we have two NEW talking points to share with your members of Congress. As part of the Children's Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act, our bill passed in the House of Representatives in August of 2007. The Congressional Budget Office scored the provision (Section 603) of the CHAMP Act as having no cost. This is due to the fact that midwifery is a relatively small, yet essential benefit for women within the Medicare program.

Therefore, we have lots of new and great reasons to contact your legislator about this bill. We need every midwife in the state to call or visit their three legislators and ask them to cosponsor this bill. Of note - in the 110th Congress, Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) was the only legislator who cosponsored our legislation.

To find out who your legislator is, go to http://capwiz.com/acnm/dbq/officials/

To learn more about this bill (including talking points, a position paper, and evidence supporting nurse-midwifery care), go to www.midwife.org/equitable_reimbursement.cfm

Please contact Karen King CNM, Region IV Representative to the ACNM Government Affairs Committee, with any questions at chapterchair@vamidwife.org

Thank you for your advocacy on this important legislation!

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