Will my insurance cover home birth or delivery at a birth center?
Every insurance plan is different. Depending on your specific insurance plan, you may be pleasantly surprised at how affordable a home birth can be! Hospital services are much more costly than home birth services, and depending on your insurance deductibles, you may find that you would pay the same amount out-of-pocket (if not much, much more) to birth in the hospital as you would to birth at home.
Certified Nurse Midwives may be in-network with some insurances, while Certified Professional Midwives are out of network with all insurances but can bill your insurance. If you have out-of-network coverage, insurance will often cover a portion of both CNM and CPM midwifery services. Some insurance plans do not cover out-of-hospital birth, but will cover prenatal and postpartum care in the office.
Additionally, many midwives offer self-pay discounts and flexible payment plans for clients who are not able to use their insurance or who do not have health insurance.
Please reach out to specific midwives to inquire about obtaining a Verification of Benefits to determine how much your insurance would cover and what portion you would be responsible for.
Here is the list of home birth and birth center practices in the PDX area that we have worked with and recommend:
Vivante Midwifery:
Vivante Midwifery is in-network with the following Regence BlueCross BlueShield plans/networks: Blue Card, Federal Employee Program, Participating and Preferred Provider Option. Ask about your particular BlueCross BlueShield network if you are unsure about it.
For clients paying the entire amount themselves, discounts may apply for early payment. Vivante also offers a discounted rate for families eligible for Medicaid.
Nest Midwifery:
Nest Midwifery is considered out-of-network, but can submit a global bill/super bill to the insurance for reimbursement. They also offer payment plans to folks whose insurance doesn’t provide coverage.
Aurora Birth Center
Aurora midwives are in-network with Providence, Blue Cross, Moda, Pacific Source and United for birth at the birth center and midwifery care. Other insurance companies can be billed, but out of network coverage and rates apply.
Flourish Midwifery
The midwives of Flourish Midwifery are in-network with Blue Cross, United Healthcare, Aetna, Cigna, and select Moda plans. Flourish Midwifery accepts a limited number of clients with the Oregon Health Plan. Other insurance companies can be billed, but out of network coverage and rates apply.
Coyote Midwifery
The midwives of Coyote Midwifery are currently only offering fertility, prenatal and postpartum support at this time.
Unfurling Birth and Midwifery Services
The midwives of Unfurling Birth and Midwifery accept all major insurance types, including OHP. For people on private insurance, they bill as 'out-of-network' providers and every plan is different.
Puerta Del Sol Midwifery:
All Puerta Del Sol midwives are Certified Professional Midwives (CPM) and are considered out of network. Depending on the insurance, they can submit a global bill/super bill to the insurance for reimbursement. With private insurance, clients pay out of pocket. Puerta Del Sol accepts OHP clients.
Portland Natural Birth
The midwives of Portland Natural Birth are out-of-network with all insurance companies, but will happily bill insurance for your midwifery care and home birth.
Check out their FAQ sheets!
“Do we take insurance? You bet!” and “Do we take OHP for home births?"
Hearth and Home Midwifery
The midwives of Hearth and Home are out-of-network providers, but happy to bill your insurance.
Glow Midwifery
The midwives of Glow Midwifery are able to accept many types of insurance, although they are not currently able to bill OHP. They are licensed in both Oregon and Washington.
Rose City Midwifery
The midwives of Rose City Midwifery are out of network, but are happy to bill your insurance for your care. They currently do not accept Oregon Health Plan (OHP) or Apple Health (WA Medicaid) but do offer a 20% discount off the full midwifery fee for Medicaid clients.
Gateway Midwifery Birth Center Women’s Healthcare Associates
The CNMs at Gateway Midwifery Birth Center accept nearly all insurances.
Canyon Birth Center:
Canyon Birth Center is contracted with the following carriers, but that does not ensure your specific plan provides coverage for the provider you’re seeing. Insurances accepted:
Aetna
ASH
Axis/First Choice
BCCP
Care Oregon
OHP Open Card (Medicaid)
ODS/MODA
PacificSource
Providence Health Plans
Regence/BCBS
United Healthcare