Does MaineCare Cover Home Birth in Maine? 2026 Coverage Reality and the 39 Licensed CPMs Who Cannot Bill Medicaid
No for independent home birth midwives. MaineCare (Maine Medicaid) does not cover out-of-hospital births with independent midwives. [1] Maine has 39 actively-licensed Certified Professional Midwives and one Certified Midwife regulated by the Board of Complementary Health Care Providers, [2] but they are not MaineCare-billable for home birth. CNMs are covered as a federal mandatory benefit but mostly practice in hospital settings. About 37% of Maine births are paid by MaineCare. [1]
Maine has a strong CPM community , 39 licensed practitioners regulated by the Board of Complementary Health Care Providers [2] , but MaineCare does not cover out-of-hospital births with independent midwives. [1] About 37% of Maine births are paid by MaineCare. [1] Families wanting home birth typically pay out of pocket, which can run thousands of dollars. CNM-attended hospital and birth-center deliveries remain MaineCare-eligible. This guide explains the framework and the practical access landscape.
On this page
Sources cited (3)
- Portland Press Herald (2025)
- Maine Board of Complementary Health Care Providers
- Social Security Act § 1905(a)(17)
Does MaineCare cover home birth?
No when attended by an independent home birth midwife. MaineCare does not cover out-of-hospital births with independent midwives, [1] which means the typical home birth attended by a CPM or LM is not Medicaid-billable in Maine.
CNMs are covered as a federal Medicaid mandatory benefit, [3] but most Maine CNMs practice in hospital settings; the subset attending planned home birth is small. When a CNM does attend a planned home birth in Maine, the place-of-service rules under MaineCare typically restrict reimbursement to hospital and facility settings.
The Maine midwifery community is unusually well-developed for the state's small population. The Board of Complementary Health Care Providers regulates Certified Midwives and Certified Professional Midwives, [2] and Maine has 39 actively-licensed CPMs and one CM. [1] These practitioners can attend home births legally, but they cannot bill MaineCare for the service.
Which midwife credentials does MaineCare cover?
Maine recognizes three midwifery credentials, but the place-of-service rules limit which attend Medicaid-billable births.
Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are licensed by the Maine Board of Nursing as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. CNM services are a federal Medicaid mandatory benefit under § 1905(a)(17). [3] MaineCare reimburses CNMs in hospital and facility settings.
Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) are credentialed by the Maine Board of Complementary Health Care Providers. [2] CPMs hold the NARM credential plus Maine-specific licensure. They specialize in out-of-hospital birth but cannot bill MaineCare. [1]
Certified Midwives (CMs) are credentialed similarly to CPMs in Maine. [2] CMs cannot bill MaineCare for home birth services either.
| CREDENTIAL | MAINECARE COVERAGE | PRACTICE SETTING |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) | Yes (hospital/facility) [3] | Hospital, facility primarily |
| Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) | Not Medicaid-eligible [1] | Out-of-pocket for home birth |
| Certified Midwife (CM) | Not Medicaid-eligible [2] | Out-of-pocket for home birth |
How do you find a home birth midwife who works with MaineCare families?
Maine's home birth community is concentrated in the Portland metro, Bangor, and the Lewiston-Auburn area. Maine Midwives (mainemidwives.org) and the Maine Association of CPMs maintain provider directories.
For a full guide to home birth midwives in Maine, including licensing, costs by region, and what to ask before hiring, see our Maine home birth midwife guide.
Confirm your MaineCare status
MaineCare covers prenatal labs, ultrasounds, and any hospital transfer when ordered through Medicaid-enrolled providers, even when home birth itself isn't covered.
Search Maine midwife directories
Maine Midwives and the Maine Association of CPMs both maintain provider directories. Most Maine CPMs and CNMs offering home birth serve the southern Maine corridor.
Ask about pricing and payment plans
Maine home birth midwife packages typically run $4,000-$6,500. Many practices offer payment plans for self-pay clients. Ask each midwife about their fee structure.
Coordinate parallel prenatal care through MaineCare
Arrange parallel prenatal visits with a MaineCare-enrolled OB or family physician for Medicaid-billable labs and ultrasounds while paying out of pocket for the midwife's professional services.
What if MaineCare won't cover your home birth?
Maine licenses 39 CPMs through the Board of Complementary Health Care Providers, but MaineCare does not currently reimburse them for out-of-hospital birth. CNMs are MaineCare-eligible only in facility settings. If you are a MaineCare family who wants home birth, your realistic options are:
Self-pay or sliding-scale CPM care. Maine CPM total fees typically run $3,500 to $6,000. Many Maine CPMs offer sliding-scale arrangements for MaineCare-eligible families when direct billing is not possible. See our sliding-scale guide for how to negotiate.
Hospital birth with a CNM. MaineCare reimburses CNM-attended hospital births in full. Maine Medical Center (Portland), Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center (Bangor), and MaineGeneral Medical Center (Augusta) have CNM presence. This preserves the midwife model in a covered setting.
Cross-state options. Families in southern Maine sometimes work with New Hampshire CMs or CNMs. New Hampshire Medicaid coverage is structured differently and generally requires NH residency for enrollment, but a self-pay arrangement with an out-of-state midwife may work.
Doula support. Pairing a doula with hospital midwifery care is a covered alternative. Maine expanded Medicaid doula coverage in 2024.
Advocacy. The Maine Coalition for Direct-Entry Midwives has been working to expand MaineCare coverage to LCPMs. Subscribe to their updates if you want to be informed when coverage expands.
For the full picture of Maine home birth , licensing, costs by region, transfer hospitals like Maine Medical Center, and what to ask , see our Maine home birth midwife guide.
Bottom line: MaineCare does not cover out-of-hospital births with independent midwives. [1] Maine has 39 licensed CPMs and one CM regulated by the Board of Complementary Health Care Providers, [2] but they cannot bill Medicaid. The standard workflow for MaineCare families wanting home birth is private-pay for the midwife while keeping MaineCare for prenatal labs (through Medicaid-enrolled providers) and any hospital transfer. CNM-attended hospital birth is the fully-covered alternative.
- Portland Press Herald. As birthing units close, where do midwives fit in? March 2025. View source
- Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Board of Complementary Health Care Providers: Certified Midwife, Certified Professional Midwife. View source
- Social Security Act § 1905(a)(17), 42 U.S.C. § 1396d(a)(17). Mandatory Medicaid coverage of nurse-midwife services. View source
▶ How we research and review this content Editorial standards
Every guide on Home Birth Partners is researched against primary sources (federal regulations, peer-reviewed clinical literature, and state-level licensing boards) and reviewed by a credentialed midwife before publication.
We update articles when source data changes, when state laws are revised, or at minimum every 12 months. The "Last reviewed" date in the byline reflects the most recent review.
If you spot an error or have a primary source we should add, email [email protected].