Does Michigan Medicaid Cover Home Birth?2026 CNM Coverage, the Healthy Michigan Plan, and Practical Access
Partially. Michigan Medicaid covers Certified Nurse-Midwife services as a federal mandatory benefit, [1] and birth center deliveries are covered when both the provider and the birth center are Medicaid-enrolled. [2] CPMs are not licensed in Michigan, so CPM-attended home birth cannot be billed to Michigan Medicaid. Home birth specifically (as a place of service) requires a CNM willing and able to attend out-of-hospital, which is rarer in Michigan than in CPM-licensed states.
Michigan is a CNM-only state for Medicaid purposes. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services covers CNM services and licensed birth center deliveries [2] but does not license or reimburse Certified Professional Midwives. The practical reality is that Michigan home birth coverage depends on finding a Medicaid-enrolled CNM willing to attend out-of-hospital birth, which is a smaller pool of providers than in states that license CPMs. This guide explains the framework and how to navigate it.
On this page
Sources cited (3)
- Social Security Act § 1905(a)(17)
- MI DHHS Healthy Moms Healthy Babies
- NASHP, State CNM Medicaid Coverage
Does Michigan Medicaid cover home birth?
Yes when attended by a CNM. Michigan Medicaid covers Certified Nurse-Midwife services as a federal mandatory benefit, [1] and CNMs may attend home birth as a place of service when both the provider and the patient are eligible. Michigan Medicaid also covers birth center deliveries when both the provider and the birth center are Medicaid-enrolled. [2]
The practical limitation in Michigan is provider availability, not policy. Most Michigan CNMs practice in hospital settings, and the subset attending planned home births is small. Certified Professional Midwives are not licensed in Michigan, which means CPM-attended home birth cannot be billed to Michigan Medicaid regardless of the CPM's training or experience. Families who want a CPM-attended home birth on Medicaid in Michigan typically pay out of pocket for the CPM and use Medicaid for prenatal labs, ultrasounds, and any hospital transfer.
Which midwife credentials does Michigan Medicaid cover?
Michigan Medicaid recognizes one midwifery credential.
Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are licensed by the Michigan Board of Nursing as advanced practice registered nurses. CNM services are a federal Medicaid mandatory benefit under § 1905(a)(17), [1] and Michigan additionally allows CNMs to be reimbursed for Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and certain behavioral health screenings within their scope of practice. [3] CNMs in Michigan can attend home or birth-center births when willing and able.
Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) are not licensed in Michigan. [3] Although some Michigan CPMs hold the NARM credential nationally, the state has not authorized CPM practice for Medicaid billing purposes. Families who want a CPM-attended home birth must pay out of pocket.
| CREDENTIAL | MI MEDICAID COVERAGE | PRACTICE SETTING |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) | Yes (federal mandate) [1] | Hospital, birth center, home (when CNM willing) |
| Birth Center | Yes when enrolled [2] | Freestanding birth center |
| Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) | Not licensed in Michigan [3] | Out-of-pocket only |
How does Michigan Medicaid reimburse home birth midwives?
Michigan Medicaid is delivered through both the Healthy Michigan Plan (managed care) and Medicaid fee-for-service. Most Medicaid recipients are enrolled in a managed care organization (Blue Cross Complete, McLaren Health Plan, Meridian Health Plan, Molina Healthcare, Priority Health Choice, United Healthcare Community Plan). [2]
For CNM services (CPT 59400 global maternity care), reimbursement falls within the MDHHS fee schedule. The structural barrier in Michigan isn't reimbursement rate but provider scarcity for out-of-hospital practice. Michigan's CNMs who attend home births are concentrated in metro Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, and Lansing.
How do you find a Medicaid-accepting CNM for home birth in Michigan?
Michigan's home birth-attending CNM community is small. Most Michigan CNMs work in hospital settings; the subset offering planned home birth is concentrated in metro Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, and Lansing. The American College of Nurse-Midwives Michigan Affiliate is a useful starting point.
Identify your Healthy Michigan Plan or Medicaid type
Your enrollment confirmation lists your MCO. Plans differ in their CNM network coverage, especially for out-of-hospital practitioners.
Pull your plan's midwife provider directory
Search your MCO's online directory for "midwife" or "certified nurse-midwife." Most listings are hospital-based; out-of-hospital CNMs are rarer in this directory.
Cross-reference with the ACNM Michigan Affiliate
The American College of Nurse-Midwives Michigan Affiliate maintains a directory of practicing CNMs. Cross-reference with your MCO's network.
Confirm out-of-hospital scope and Medicaid panel by phone
Ask each practice: "Does your CNM attend planned home births, and do you accept [my Healthy Michigan plan]?" Get the answer in writing if your due date is more than 6 months out.
What if you want a CPM-attended home birth in Michigan?
Because Michigan does not license CPMs, [3] there is no Medicaid pathway for a CPM-attended home birth. Three options exist for families who prefer a CPM:
Pay out of pocket plus Medicaid for prenatal/transfer. Some Michigan families pay private-pay for a CPM (operating in a legal gray area) while keeping Medicaid for prenatal labs, ultrasounds, and any hospital transfer. The CPM's services are not Medicaid-billable.
Choose a CNM with home-birth practice. Michigan CNMs offering planned home birth are fewer but exist, especially in metro areas. CNM-attended home birth is fully Medicaid-covered.
Use a CNM-staffed birth center. Michigan birth centers staff CNMs and accept Medicaid. Birth-center delivery is a fully-covered out-of-hospital option that approximates the home birth experience while keeping the birth in a covered setting.
Bottom line: Michigan Medicaid covers CNM-attended home birth as a federal mandatory benefit, [1] and birth center deliveries when the provider and facility are enrolled. [2] Michigan does not license CPMs, [3] so CPM-attended home birth cannot be billed to Medicaid. The practical bottleneck is finding a CNM willing to attend home birth, which is concentrated in metro areas. Use the ACNM Michigan Affiliate directory plus your Healthy Michigan Plan's network listing, and consider CNM-staffed birth centers as a fully-covered fallback.
- Social Security Act § 1905(a)(17), 42 U.S.C. § 1396d(a)(17). Mandatory Medicaid coverage of nurse-midwife services. View source
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy Moms Healthy Babies. View source
- National Academy for State Health Policy. State Medicaid Coverage of Certified Nurse Midwives. 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].