Does Mississippi Medicaid Cover Home Birth? 2026 Reality: CNM Coverage, SPA 22-0018, and No Home Birth Payment Policy
There is no clear pathway for the home birth itself. Mississippi Medicaid covers Certified Nurse-Midwife services as a federal mandatory benefit, [1] and CMS approved State Plan Amendment 22-0018 in November 2022 to update midwife reimbursement rates. [2] But the Division of Medicaid publishes no policy that pays for planned home birth as a delivery setting, and Mississippi is not among the 18 states plus DC whose Medicaid programs reimburse midwives without a nursing degree. [3] Non-nurse midwifery is legal but unregulated in Mississippi, and unlicensed midwives cannot enroll as Medicaid providers. [6] Confirm any coverage question directly with the Division of Medicaid and your coordinated care plan before counting on it.
Mississippi sits in an unusual spot. Non-nurse midwifery is legal and almost entirely unregulated, licensure bills died in the legislature in both 2025 and 2026, [6] and the state's Medicaid program publishes no policy paying for home birth as a setting. Mississippi Medicaid covers Certified Nurse-Midwife services, [1] and a 2022 State Plan Amendment updated midwife reimbursement rates, [2] but neither creates a home birth benefit. If you're on Mississippi Medicaid and want a home birth, this guide explains what is actually covered, what is not, and what to confirm before you commit.
On this page
Sources cited (7)
- Social Security Act § 1905(a)(17)
- MS DOM SPA 22-0018 (2022)
- NASHP, Medicaid Financing of Midwifery Services (2023)
- MS Medicaid Title 23 Part 222
- KFF, 2021 Medicaid Pregnancy Services Survey
- MS Legislature, HB 1389 (2026) bill history
- MS DOM SPA 23-0015 (postpartum extension)
Does Mississippi Medicaid cover home birth?
There is no published policy that pays for it. Mississippi Medicaid covers Certified Nurse-Midwife services as a federal mandatory benefit, [1] and deliveries by enrolled providers are covered in facility settings. The Division of Medicaid's maternity rule, Administrative Code Title 23 Part 222, covers enhanced pregnancy services including a limited number of home visits during pregnancy and postpartum, but those are support visits under the Perinatal High Risk Management program, not home delivery. [4]
Two national datasets frame the gap. In KFF's 2021 survey of state Medicaid programs, 25 of 42 responding states covered home births; Mississippi did not respond to the survey. [5] NASHP's 50-state analysis counts 18 states plus DC that reimburse midwives without a nursing degree through Medicaid; Mississippi is not one of them. [3]
For Certified Professional Midwives the answer is firmer: CPMs cannot enroll as Mississippi Medicaid providers, so CPM-attended home birth is paid out of pocket. Medicaid can still pay for prenatal labs, ultrasounds, and hospital care ordered through enrolled providers.
Which midwife credentials does Mississippi Medicaid cover?
Mississippi Medicaid recognizes one midwifery credential.
Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are licensed by the Mississippi Board of Nursing as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. CNM services are a federal Medicaid mandatory benefit under § 1905(a)(17), [1] and the November 2022 SPA 22-0018 updated reimbursement rates for midwife services. [2] Mississippi CNMs practice overwhelmingly in hospitals and clinics.
Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) occupy a legal gray zone that is unusually wide in Mississippi. State law excludes midwifery from the definition of practicing medicine, so non-nurse midwives practice legally, but the state issues no license, sets no training floor, and runs no oversight board. Licensure bills passed the Mississippi House in 2025 and 2026 and died both times. [6] Because there is no license, there is no Medicaid enrollment pathway: CPM services cannot be billed to Mississippi Medicaid in any setting. [3] If you hire a CPM, verify the NARM credential yourself; the state does not do it for you.
| CREDENTIAL | MS MEDICAID COVERAGE | PRACTICE SETTING |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) | Yes (federal mandate + SPA 22-0018) [1,2] | Hospital and clinic practice; no home birth payment policy |
| Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) | Cannot enroll; no state license exists [3] [6] | Out-of-pocket only |
How does Mississippi Medicaid reimburse home birth midwives?
It reimburses enrolled providers, and home birth midwives mostly are not enrolled. Mississippi Medicaid runs through fee-for-service and three coordinated care organizations: Magnolia Health, Molina Healthcare, and TrueCare, which replaced UnitedHealthcare when new MississippiCAN contracts began July 1, 2025.
For enrolled CNMs, SPA 22-0018 updated the midwife fee schedule in November 2022, [2] and global maternity billing (CPT 59400) applies through the end of 2026. None of that reaches a home birth attended by a CPM, because the provider cannot enroll. [3]
The state's maternity rule adds enhanced services for at-risk pregnancies, including a limited number of home visits by nurses, CNMs, and other licensed staff during pregnancy and postpartum. That is the only home-based maternity care the administrative code describes, and it is prenatal and postpartum support, not delivery. [4]
How do you find a Mississippi Medicaid-accepting midwife?
Mississippi has one of the smallest home birth workforces in the country, and no Medicaid pathway pays for the home setting. The practical search is for covered CNM care, plus a clear-eyed budget if you want a home birth anyway.
Identify your Mississippi Medicaid plan
Are you on fee-for-service Medicaid or one of the coordinated care plans (Magnolia Health, Molina Healthcare, TrueCare)? Your enrollment confirmation lists yours. TrueCare replaced UnitedHealthcare in July 2025.
Ask the Division of Medicaid the setting question directly
Call 1-800-421-2408 and ask: "Does Mississippi Medicaid pay any provider type for a planned home birth, and under what policy?" Get the answer with a reference number. If policy changes after mid-2026, this is how you find out.
Find covered CNM care through your plan
Search your plan's provider directory for certified nurse-midwives. Most practice in hospital systems concentrated in the larger metro areas, and statewide capacity is thin. The ACNM Mississippi Affiliate is another starting point.
If you want a CPM home birth, budget out of pocket
Ask the midwife for the full fee, what it covers, and payment plan options. Verify a current NARM certification yourself, since Mississippi has no license to check. Keep Medicaid active for labs, ultrasounds, and hospital care through enrolled providers.
What if no Medicaid-covered home birth option exists?
Three options exist:
Hospital-based CNM care. Mississippi Medicaid fully covers hospital-based CNM-attended birth, [1] and postpartum coverage now runs 12 months after delivery. [7] This is the covered path.
Pay out of pocket for a CPM. Some Mississippi families pay a CPM's fee privately while keeping Medicaid for prenatal labs, ultrasounds, and any hospital transfer ordered through enrolled providers. Verify the midwife's NARM credential and transfer plan yourself; the state does not regulate this practice. [6]
Ask before assuming a birth center is covered. Mississippi has very few freestanding birth centers. If one operates near you, ask whether the facility and its midwives are Medicaid-enrolled, and get the billing answer in writing before booking.
For a full guide to home birth midwives in Mississippi, including licensing, costs by region, and what to ask before hiring, see our Mississippi home birth midwife guide.
Bottom line: Mississippi Medicaid covers CNM services [1] and updated midwife rates through SPA 22-0018, [2] but publishes no policy that pays for home birth as a setting, and CPMs cannot enroll because Mississippi issues no midwifery license. [3] [6] Licensure bills died in 2025 and 2026. [6] Treat home birth in Mississippi as private pay: budget the midwife fee, verify the NARM credential yourself, and keep Medicaid active for labs, hospital care, and 12 months of postpartum coverage. [7] Confirm anything a provider tells you about coverage directly with the Division of Medicaid.
- Social Security Act § 1905(a)(17), 42 U.S.C. § 1396d(a)(17). Mandatory Medicaid coverage of nurse-midwife services. View source
- Mississippi Division of Medicaid. SPA 22-0018: Midwife Services Approved by CMS. November 2022. View source
- National Academy for State Health Policy. Medicaid Financing of Midwifery Services: A 50-State Analysis. May 2023. View source
- Mississippi Division of Medicaid. Administrative Code Title 23: Medicaid Part 222 Maternity Services. View source
- Kaiser Family Foundation. Medicaid Coverage of Pregnancy-Related Services: Findings from a 2021 State Survey. 2022. View source
- Mississippi Legislature. House Bill 1389, 2026 Regular Session: History of Actions. View source
- Mississippi Division of Medicaid. SPA 23-0015: Postpartum Coverage Approved by CMS. 2023. 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].