Return to Events and Announcements > Announcements

Opportunity to Support Connecticut Affiliate of the ACNM

Hello from the CT ACNM affiliate team. We have BIG NEWS!

Spring has arrived after what has been a long year since all our lives were impacted by Covid-19, and we are feeling hopeful. Although this past year was met with many challenges, new opportunities for midwifery in CT are on the horizon. One of these opportunities is a bill aimed at equal reimbursement for services provided by midwives, (Bill Number: SB: 764): AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAID PROVIDERS. Click here to read the bill.

Currently, midwives in CT are reimbursed at a lower rate (85-90%) than physicians for equal work. This discrepancy places a strain on midwife-owned businesses, and may deter other organizations that wish to hire midwives. More importantly, pay inequality restricts access for all people to the safe, evidence-based care that midwives provide. With our collective effort, we are closer than ever before to achieving pay parity in CT, something that MA, VT, NH, RI, and ME have already done. The affiliate board has many reasons to believe that multiple key legislators are interested in supporting this legislation. Governor Ned Lamont has declared maternal health a state-wide priority. While we recognize that success is never guaranteed, especially during a state budget deficit, it seems prudent that we push forward with our efforts.

Now is the time to push for expanded access to midwives and midwifery-led care models, we need you, and there are two ways to help.

1) Please let your representatives know to support the appropriations committee as they build the budget. Make sure they support pay parity for nurse-midwives specifically. Look at the members, if your legislator is part of the committee write them directly! If not, write or call the chairs directly. We can do this!

Appropriations Committee: https://www.cga.ct.gov/app/

Co-chairs:

Senator Catherine Osten: http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/Osten-contact

Representative Toni Walker: [email protected]

2) In order to continue our assertive legislative efforts for this bill and others going forward in the future, we need to raise money. With your donations, we can continue our ambitious lobbying efforts at the capital, and retain hope for a stronger and safer healthcare system for our patients. Whether you are a midwife, love a midwife, birthed with a midwife, or want to be a midwife, your support is needed! We must ensure midwives are at the table as new policies are made that affect women, birthing people, and infants in this state.

If every midwife contributed just $60, we could match our 2020 legislative budget and be able to take advantage of the opportunities to reshape health policy and ensure all people have access to high quality midwifery care. Any donation is truly appreciated.

If you are presently not in a position to give financially, please share our Go Fund Me page instead. No matter how you are able to help, thank you for being an integral part of upscaling and sustaining midwifery in CT!

Click here to Donate