Does New Mexico Medicaid Cover Home Birth? 2026 Turquoise Care Coverage and the Birthing Options Program
Yes. New Mexico Medicaid (now called Turquoise Care, formerly Centennial Care) covers home birth attended by Licensed Midwives and Certified Nurse-Midwives through the New Mexico Birthing Options Program, which has offered an out-of-hospital birth option for low-risk pregnancies since 2006. [6] LMs are state-licensed direct-entry midwives and long-standing Medicaid providers. [1] New Mexico is also one of only two states (with Illinois) where CNMs can bill all services physicians can. [3] Confirm each midwife's BOP enrollment with your specific MCO.
New Mexico has been a national leader in Medicaid coverage of community midwifery for years. The Birthing Options Program (BOP) has credentialed direct-entry Licensed Midwives as Medicaid providers since 2006, [1,6] and New Mexico's CNM billing scope is the broadest in the country alongside Illinois. [3] The state's Medicaid program is now called Turquoise Care (rebranded from Centennial Care in 2024), but the underlying coverage of midwifery services remains in place. The remaining barriers are reimbursement gaps for specific billing codes and uneven MCO administration.
On this page
Sources cited (7)
- NM MCH State Action Plan (2022)
- NM Department of Health, Midwifery Program
- NASHP, State CNM Medicaid Coverage
- Medicaid.gov NM Turquoise Care 1115 Demo
- Social Security Act § 1905(a)(17)
- NASHP, Improving Birthing Outcomes: New Mexico (2022)
- NM HCA, Letter of Direction #55 (2025)
Does New Mexico Medicaid cover home birth?
Yes. New Mexico's Medicaid program covers home birth attended by Licensed Midwives and Certified Nurse-Midwives through the Birthing Options Program. [1] BOP was created in 2006 under a state plan amendment to give low-risk Medicaid members an out-of-hospital birth option, [6] which makes it one of the oldest programs of its kind in the country.
New Mexico's Medicaid program transitioned in 2024 from Centennial Care to Turquoise Care. [4] The Health Care Authority reaffirmed BOP billing and reimbursement rules for the Turquoise Care MCOs in a May 2025 Letter of Direction, so the program continues under the new framework. [7] Coverage is delivered through four Managed Care Organizations, and each administers the BOP differently. Provider enrollment and reimbursement workflows vary by MCO, which adds complexity for midwives and for families trying to confirm coverage. [1]
Which midwife credentials does New Mexico Medicaid cover?
New Mexico Medicaid recognizes two midwifery credentials.
Licensed Midwives (LMs) are licensed and regulated by the New Mexico Department of Health's Maternal Health Program under 16.11.3 NMAC. [2] They train through an accredited midwifery education program or a structured apprenticeship, and many also hold the NARM Certified Professional Midwife credential, though New Mexico licensure does not require it. [2] LMs specialize in out-of-hospital birth and enroll as Medicaid providers through the Birthing Options Program. [1]
Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are educated in both nursing and midwifery and are likewise licensed through the Department of Health, which regulates midwifery practice across settings in New Mexico. [2] CNM services are a federal Medicaid mandatory benefit under § 1905(a)(17). [5] New Mexico is one of only two states (with Illinois) where CNMs can bill the full range of services physicians can bill. [3]
Unlicensed midwives cannot bill New Mexico Medicaid. The Birthing Options Program credentials licensed providers only; lay midwives operate outside the Medicaid framework.
| CREDENTIAL | NM MEDICAID COVERAGE | PRACTICE SETTING |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) | Yes (federal mandate + broadest billing rights) [3,5] | Hospital, birth center, home |
| Licensed Midwife (LM) | Yes (Birthing Options Program) [1] | Birth center or home |
| NARM CPM credential | Optional for LMs [2] | Not required for NM licensure |
How does New Mexico Medicaid reimburse home birth midwives?
Reimbursement runs through the Birthing Options Program at the MCO level. Under the BOP global payment, CNMs are reimbursed at the same rate paid to physicians, while LMs have historically received 77 percent of the physician rate, plus fee-for-service billing for certain services outside the global package. [6] The Health Care Authority issued updated BOP billing and reimbursement direction to the Turquoise Care MCOs in May 2025. [7]
The CNM advantage in New Mexico is the broad billing scope: where most states limit CNMs to a narrow set of codes, NM CNMs can bill the full physician code set, which improves the economics for solo and small-practice CNMs. [3]
LM reimbursement under BOP can be more constrained. Malpractice coverage requirements and billing-code gaps have been persistent barriers, [1,6] and practices report variable success negotiating with specific MCOs for full reimbursement of home birth services. Ask each midwife which fees her BOP contract actually covers.
"New Mexico's Birthing Options Program is one of the longest-running Medicaid LM credentialing systems in the country. The bottleneck isn't policy intent; it's the patchwork of billing codes and MCO administration.
On New Mexico's Medicaid midwifery program
How do you find a Medicaid-accepting midwife in New Mexico?
New Mexico's home birth midwifery community is concentrated in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, and Las Cruces. The state has a long tradition of community midwifery and the LM community is active.
Identify your Turquoise Care MCO
Turquoise Care is delivered through four MCOs: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, Molina Healthcare, Presbyterian Health Plan, and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. Your enrollment confirmation lists yours.
Search for licensed midwives by region
Home Birth Partners and the New Mexico Coalition of Midwives both maintain provider directories, and the Department of Health publishes a registry of licensed midwives. Most LMs serve the Albuquerque-Santa Fe corridor and northern NM.
Confirm BOP enrollment with each midwife
Because the Birthing Options Program varies by MCO, ask each midwife: "Are you currently enrolled with [my Turquoise Care MCO] under the Birthing Options Program for 2026?"
Ask about specific billing codes
Some LMs report that certain birth-related services aren't fully covered. Ask each practice: "Which fees do you bill Turquoise Care, and which fees might I owe out of pocket?"
What about Tribal Health Organization coverage?
If you're an enrolled member of one of New Mexico's tribes (Navajo, Pueblo, Apache, Zuni), your Tribal Health Organization may provide midwifery services that bypass the standard Turquoise Care billing process. Indian Health Service facilities and Tribal-operated programs vary in their approach to home birth, but some explicitly support out-of-hospital midwifery for low-risk pregnancies.
New Mexico is unique among states in the depth of Tribal Health Organization integration with Medicaid. If you're tribal-eligible, ask your THO whether they coordinate with LMs in your community for home birth services.
For a full guide to home birth midwives in New Mexico, including licensing, costs by region, and what to ask before hiring, see our New Mexico home birth midwife guide.
Bottom line: New Mexico Medicaid covers home birth attended by LMs and CNMs through the Birthing Options Program, in place since 2006 and reaffirmed under Turquoise Care in 2025, [1,6,7] and New Mexico's CNM billing scope is the broadest in the country. [3] The state has a long tradition of community midwifery, especially in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The remaining barriers are uneven MCO administration of BOP and gaps in specific billing codes. Confirm BOP enrollment with each midwife you contact, ask which fees are fully reimbursable, and explore Tribal Health Organization options if you're tribal-eligible.
- New Mexico Department of Health, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. State Action Plan: Perinatal/Infant Health Annual Report. 2022. View source
- New Mexico Department of Health, Maternal Health Program. Certified Nurse Midwives and Licensed Midwives. View source
- National Academy for State Health Policy. State Medicaid Coverage of Certified Nurse Midwives. View source
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. New Mexico Turquoise Care (formerly Centennial Care 2.0) Section 1115 Demonstration. View source
- Social Security Act § 1905(a)(17), 42 U.S.C. § 1396d(a)(17). Mandatory Medicaid coverage of nurse-midwife services. View source
- National Academy for State Health Policy. Improving Birthing Outcomes through Midwifery Care: New Mexico. April 2022. View source
- New Mexico Health Care Authority. Letter of Direction #55: Birthing Options Program Billing and Reimbursement. May 20, 2025. 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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