Does Nevada Medicaid Cover Home Birth? 2026 CNM Coverage and Why CPMs Cannot Bill Nevada Medicaid
Yes for CNMs only. Nevada Medicaid covers Certified Nurse-Midwife services as a federal mandatory benefit, [1] and a CNM can bill in the settings where she is licensed to practice. Confirm home-setting billing with your specific plan before committing. Nevada has no state licensure for non-nurse home birth midwives, [2] which means CPMs and other non-CNM home birth practitioners cannot enroll as Nevada Medicaid providers regardless of training or experience. CPM-attended home birth in Nevada is paid out of pocket only.
Nevada is one of the few states without a licensure framework for non-nurse midwives. The state regulates CNMs as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, [1] but it does not license Certified Professional Midwives or other direct-entry midwives. [2] Licensure bills failed in 2021 and again in 2023. [4,6] The licensure gap is also the Medicaid gap: because non-CNM home birth midwives don't have a state license, they can't enroll as Medicaid providers, and CPM-attended home birth in Nevada must be paid out of pocket. CNM coverage works under the federal mandate. This guide explains the framework.
On this page
Sources cited (6)
- NRS § 422.272405 (2025)
- NACPM, Overview of State Licensure for CPMs (2024)
- Social Security Act § 1905(a)(17)
- The Nevada Independent, 2021 Session Casualties
- Nevada Medicaid Provider Type 74 Billing Guide
- BillTrack50, NV AB386 (2023)
Does Nevada Medicaid cover home birth?
Yes when attended by a CNM, with a setting caveat. CNM services are a federal Medicaid mandatory benefit, and Nevada law requires its Medicaid program to reimburse advanced practice registered nurses (the license category that covers CNMs) to the same extent as physicians. [1] A CNM can bill for maternity care in the settings where she is licensed to practice. Whether your specific plan pays for a home place of service is a claims question, so confirm it with your plan in writing before you commit to a home birth.
For home birth midwives who aren't CNMs (such as CPMs or other direct-entry midwives), Nevada Medicaid coverage does not exist. [2] Nevada has no state licensure for home birth midwives, which means there's no state credential to enroll as a Medicaid provider against. CPMs and other non-CNM midwives can practice in Nevada under their national NARM credential or training, but they cannot bill Nevada Medicaid for services regardless of family Medicaid status.
The practical implication: CNM-attended home birth is the only midwife-attended home birth with a Medicaid billing path in Nevada. CPM-attended home birth requires out-of-pocket payment, with Medicaid covering prenatal labs, ultrasounds, and any hospital transfer when ordered through Medicaid-enrolled providers.
Which midwife credentials does Nevada Medicaid cover?
Nevada Medicaid recognizes one midwifery credential.
Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are licensed by the Nevada State Board of Nursing as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. CNM services are a federal Medicaid mandatory benefit under § 1905(a)(17), [3] and Nevada specifically requires Medicaid reimbursement for APRN services through Nevada Revised Statutes § 422.272405. [1]
Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) are not state-licensed in Nevada. [2] CPMs can practice in Nevada under their NARM credential, but the absence of state licensure means they cannot enroll as Nevada Medicaid providers. CPM-attended home birth must be paid out of pocket.
The absence of CPM licensure is unusual nationally. As of late 2024, CPMs have a path to licensure in 37 states plus the District of Columbia, and Nevada is not among them. [2] Nevada lawmakers have tried to close the gap: a 2021 licensure bill (AB 387) fell one Senate vote short, [4] and a 2023 follow-up (AB 386) cleared floor votes in both chambers in the session's final days but did not become law. [6] Nevada's gap leaves out-of-hospital midwifery in a partial regulatory void: legal but unbilled to Medicaid.
| CREDENTIAL | NV MEDICAID COVERAGE | PRACTICE SETTING |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) | Yes (federal mandate + NRS 422.272405) [1,3] | Hospital, birth center, home |
| Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) | Not Medicaid-eligible (no state licensure) [2] | Out-of-pocket only |
| Other direct-entry midwives | Not Medicaid-eligible [2] | Out-of-pocket only |
How does Nevada Medicaid reimburse home birth midwives?
Nevada Medicaid moved to statewide managed care on January 1, 2026. Five plans now serve members: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Solutions, Health Plan of Nevada, Molina Healthcare of Nevada, SilverSummit Healthplan, and CareSource Nevada. Rural members who used to be in fee-for-service Medicaid were moved into these plans. Each MCO administers Medicaid for its members within Nevada Department of Health and Human Services guidelines, so coverage questions now run through your plan.
For CNM services (CPT 59400 global maternity care), Nevada Medicaid reimburses CNMs through the Provider Type 74 (Nurse Midwife) billing structure detailed in the Nevada Medicaid billing guidance. [5] Most home-birth-attending CNMs in Nevada are concentrated in Las Vegas and the Reno-Carson City corridor. Ask each practice whether it has billed your specific plan for a home birth before.
For non-CNM midwives, the reimbursement question is moot because they cannot enroll as Nevada Medicaid providers due to the licensure gap. [2]
How do you find a Nevada Medicaid-accepting CNM for home birth?
Nevada's home birth-attending CNM community is concentrated in Las Vegas and the Reno-Carson City corridor. The Northern Nevada Midwives Association and individual practices serve Nevada Medicaid families.
Identify your Nevada Medicaid plan
Since January 2026, Nevada Medicaid is managed care statewide. Your enrollment confirmation or member card lists which of the five plans you're on.
Search your plan's provider directory
Search your plan's online provider directory for "midwife" or "certified nurse-midwife." Most listings will be hospital-based; out-of-hospital CNMs are rarer.
Cross-reference with state midwife associations
The Northern Nevada Midwives Association maintains provider information for the Reno area, and Home Birth Partners lists Nevada midwives by region. Cross-reference any midwife you find with your Medicaid plan's directory.
Confirm CNM credential and Medicaid panel by phone
Ask each practice: "Are you a CNM enrolled with Nevada Medicaid as a Provider Type 74, and do you attend planned home births?" If you encounter a non-CNM home birth midwife, confirm they're aware of the Medicaid limitation in Nevada.
What if no Medicaid-accepting CNM is available?
Three options exist if you can't find a Medicaid-accepting CNM with home-birth capacity:
Hospital-based CNM care. Nevada Medicaid fully covers hospital-based CNM-attended birth. Both Las Vegas and Reno have CNM-staffed maternity programs.
Use a CNM-staffed birth center. Some Nevada birth centers staff CNMs and accept Medicaid. Birth-center delivery is fully covered with the same Medicaid eligibility as hospital delivery.
Pay out of pocket for a CPM. Nevada CPMs can practice under their NARM credential without state licensure. Some Nevada families pay private-pay for a CPM home birth attendance while keeping Medicaid for prenatal labs, ultrasounds, and any hospital transfer (when those are ordered through Medicaid-enrolled providers, which CPMs are not). Coordinate parallel prenatal labs through a Medicaid-enrolled OB or family physician.
For a full guide to home birth midwives in Nevada, including licensing, costs by region, and what to ask before hiring, see our Nevada home birth midwife guide.
Bottom line: Nevada Medicaid covers CNM services as a federal mandatory benefit, [1] and a CNM is the only midwife type with a Medicaid billing path for home birth in Nevada. Confirm home-setting payment with your specific plan in writing. Nevada has no state licensure for non-nurse midwives, [2] which means CPMs and other direct-entry home birth midwives cannot enroll as Nevada Medicaid providers and CPM-attended home birth must be paid out of pocket. Use your plan's provider directory plus state midwife associations to find an in-network CNM, and consider birth-center alternatives if no home-birth CNM is available. Until Nevada establishes CPM licensure, Medicaid coverage will remain CNM-only.
- Nevada Revised Statutes. § 422.272405: State Plan for Medicaid: Reimbursement for services provided by advanced practice registered nurse to certain recipients. 2025. View source
- National Association of Certified Professional Midwives. An Overview of State Licensure for CPMs. October 2024. View source
- Social Security Act § 1905(a)(17), 42 U.S.C. § 1396d(a)(17). Mandatory Medicaid coverage of nurse-midwife services. View source
- The Nevada Independent. Gun Free Zones in Casinos, Increasing Justice Court Fees and Licensing Midwives Among Many Casualties of Legislative Session. June 2021. View source
- Nevada Medicaid. Provider Billing Information: Provider Type 74 Billing Guide, Nurse Midwife. View source
- BillTrack50. Nevada AB386 (2023): Revises Provisions Relating to Midwives. Bill status record. View source
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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.
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