AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES (Requires health insurance plans to cover services provided by licensed certified professional midwives. Insurers would be required to report utilization and cost data annually and certain limited benefit policies would be exempt.)

S2381

2026 -- S 2381
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LC003393
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES

Introduced By:
Senators Mack, DiMario, Murray, Lauria, Urso, Acosta, de la Cruz,
Vargas, Quezada, and Ujifusa

Date Introduced:
January 30, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Health & Human Services
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
1
SECTION 1. Chapter 27-18 of the General Laws entitled "Accident and Sickness Insurance
2
Policies" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
3

27-18-96. Certified professional midwife.

4

(a) As used in this section, “certified professional midwife” or “CPM” means a trained
5
professional who has successfully completed an accredited educational program in midwifery,
6
holds a current certification as a certified professional midwife by the North American Registry of
7
Midwives (hereinafter referred to in this section as “NARM”), and is licensed to practice midwifery
8
in accordance with § 23-13-9.
9

(b) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group
10
hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery,
11
or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2027, shall provide coverage for the services of a
12
certified professional midwife in accordance with each health insurers' respective principles and
13
mechanisms of reimbursement, credentialing, and contracting, if the services are within the
14
certified professional midwife’s area of professional competence as defined by the standard
15
developed and maintained by the Midwives Alliance of North America (hereinafter referred to in
16
this section as “MANA”) in collaboration with the department of health, and are currently
17
reimbursed when rendered by any other healthcare provider. No insurer or hospital or medical
18
service corporation may require supervision, signature, or referral by any other healthcare provider
19
as a condition of reimbursement, except when those requirements are also applicable to other

1
categories of healthcare providers. No insurer or hospital or medical service corporation or patient
2
shall be required to pay for duplicate services actually rendered by both a licensed certified
3
professional midwife and any other healthcare provider.
4

(c) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group
5
hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery,
6
or renewed in this state that is required to cover certified professional midwife services defined in
7
subsections (a) and (b) of this section, shall report utilization and cost information related to
8
licensed certified professional midwife’s services to the office of the health insurance
9
commissioner on or before July 1, 2027 and each July 1 thereafter. The office of the health
10
insurance commissioner shall define the utilization and cost information required to be reported.
11

(d) This section shall not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for:
12

(1) Hospital confinement indemnity;
13

(2) Disability income;
14

(3) Accident only;
15

(4) Long-term care;
16

(5) Medicare supplement;
17

(6) Limited benefit health;
18

(7) Specified disease indemnity;
19

(8) Sickness or bodily injury or death by accident or both; and
20

(9) Other limited benefit policies.
21

(e) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, unless otherwise specified,
22
the provisions of this chapter shall supersede and shall control over any conflicting or inconsistent
23
laws, including general laws, special laws, or local laws, or any rule or regulation of the state
24
including, but not limited to, §§ 23-13-9, 27-41-2(21), 27-41-36 or any other state rule or
25
regulation.
26
SECTION 2. Chapter 27-19 of the General Laws entitled "Nonprofit Hospital Service
27
Corporations" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
28

27-19-88. Certified professional midwife.

29

(a) As used in this section, “certified professional midwife” or “CPM” means a trained
30
professional who has successfully completed an accredited educational program in midwifery,
31
holds a current certification as a certified professional midwife by the North American Registry of
32
Midwives (hereinafter referred to in this section as “NARM”), and is licensed to practice midwifery
33
in accordance with § 23-13-9.
34

(b) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group

LC003393 - Page 2 of 7
1
hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery,
2
or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2027, shall provide coverage for the services of a
3
certified professional midwife in accordance with each health insurers' respective principles and
4
mechanisms of reimbursement, credentialing, and contracting, if the services are within the
5
certified professional midwife’s area of professional competence as defined by the standard
6
developed and maintained by the Midwives Alliance of North America (hereinafter referred to in
7
this section as “MANA”) in collaboration with the department of health, and are currently
8
reimbursed when rendered by any other healthcare provider. No insurer or hospital or medical
9
service corporation may require supervision, signature, or referral by any other healthcare provider
10
as a condition of reimbursement, except when those requirements are also applicable to other
11
categories of healthcare providers. No insurer or hospital or medical service corporation or patient
12
shall be required to pay for duplicate services actually rendered by both a licensed certified
13
professional midwife and any other healthcare provider.
14

(c) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group
15
hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery,
16
or renewed in this state that is required to cover certified professional midwife services defined in
17
subsections (a) and (b) of this section, shall report utilization and cost information related to
18
licensed certified professional midwife’s services to the office of the health insurance
19
commissioner on or before July 1, 2027 and each July 1 thereafter. The office of the health
20
insurance commissioner shall define the utilization and cost information required to be reported.
21

(d) This section shall not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for:
22

(1) Hospital confinement indemnity;
23

(2) Disability income;
24

(3) Accident only;
25

(4) Long-term care;
26

(5) Medicare supplement;
27

(6) Limited benefit health;
28

(7) Specified disease indemnity;
29

(8) Sickness or bodily injury or death by accident or both; and
30

(9) Other limited benefit policies.
31

(e) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, unless otherwise specified,
32
the provisions of this chapter shall supersede and shall control over any conflicting or inconsistent
33
laws, including general laws, special laws, or local laws, or any rule or regulation of the state
34
including, but not limited, to §§ 23-13-9, 27-41-2(21), 27-41-36 or any other state rule or

LC003393 - Page 3 of 7
1
regulation.
2
SECTION 3. Chapter 27-20 of the General Laws entitled "Nonprofit Medical Service
3
Corporations" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
4

27-20-84. Certified professional midwife.

5

(a) As used in this section, “certified professional midwife” or “CPM” means a trained
6
professional who has successfully completed an accredited educational program in midwifery,
7
holds a current certification as a certified professional midwife by the North American Registry of
8
Midwives (hereinafter referred to in this section as “NARM”), and is licensed to practice midwifery
9
in accordance with § 23-13-9.
10

(b) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group
11
hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery,
12
or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2027, shall provide coverage for the services of a
13
certified professional midwife in accordance with each health insurers' respective principles and
14
mechanisms of reimbursement, credentialing, and contracting, if the services are within the
15
certified professional midwife’s area of professional competence as defined by the standard
16
developed and maintained by the Midwives Alliance of North America (hereinafter referred to in
17
this section as “MANA”) in collaboration with the department of health, and are currently
18
reimbursed when rendered by any other healthcare provider. No insurer or hospital or medical
19
service corporation may require supervision, signature, or referral by any other healthcare provider
20
as a condition of reimbursement, except when those requirements are also applicable to other
21
categories of healthcare providers. No insurer or hospital or medical service corporation or patient
22
shall be required to pay for duplicate services actually rendered by both a licensed certified
23
professional midwife and any other healthcare provider.
24

(c) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group
25
hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery,
26
or renewed in this state that is required to cover certified professional midwife services defined in
27
subsections (a) and (b) of this section, shall report utilization and cost information related to
28
licensed certified professional midwife’s services to the office of the health insurance
29
commissioner on or before July 1, 2027 and each July 1 thereafter. The office of the health
30
insurance commissioner shall define the utilization and cost information required to be reported.
31

(d) This section shall not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for:
32

(1) Hospital confinement indemnity;
33

(2) Disability income;
34

(3) Accident only;

LC003393 - Page 4 of 7
1

(4) Long-term care;
2

(5) Medicare supplement;
3

(6) Limited benefit health;
4

(7) Specified disease indemnity;
5

(8) Sickness or bodily injury or death by accident or both; and
6

(9) Other limited benefit policies.
7

(e) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, unless otherwise specified,
8
the provisions of this chapter shall supersede and shall control over any conflicting or inconsistent
9
laws, including general laws, special laws, or local laws, or any rule or regulation of the state
10
including, but not limited, to §§ 23-13-9, 27-41-2(21), 27-41-36 or any other state rule or
11
regulation.
12
SECTION 4. Chapter 27-41 of the General Laws entitled "Health Maintenance
13
Organizations" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
14

27-41-101. Certified professional midwife.

15

(a) As used in this section, “certified professional midwife” or “CPM” means a trained
16
professional who has successfully completed an accredited educational program in midwifery,
17
holds a current certification as a certified professional midwife by the North American Registry of
18
Midwives (hereinafter referred to in this section as “NARM”), and is licensed to practice midwifery
19
in accordance with § 23-13-9.
20

(b) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group
21
hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery,
22
or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2027, shall provide coverage for the services of a
23
certified professional midwife in accordance with each health insurers' respective principles and
24
mechanisms of reimbursement, credentialing, and contracting, if the services are within the
25
certified professional midwife’s area of professional competence as defined by the standard
26
developed and maintained by the Midwives Alliance of North America (hereinafter referred to in
27
this section as “MANA”) in collaboration with the department of health, and are currently
28
reimbursed when rendered by any other healthcare provider. No insurer or hospital or medical
29
service corporation may require supervision, signature, or referral by any other healthcare provider
30
as a condition of reimbursement, except when those requirements are also applicable to other
31
categories of healthcare providers. No insurer or hospital or medical service corporation or patient
32
shall be required to pay for duplicate services actually rendered by both a licensed certified
33
professional midwife and any other healthcare provider.
34

(c) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group

LC003393 - Page 5 of 7
1
hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery,
2
or renewed in this state that is required to cover certified professional midwife services defined in
3
subsections (a) and (b) of this section, shall report utilization and cost information related to
4
licensed certified professional midwife’s services to the office of the health insurance
5
commissioner on or before July 1, 2027 and each July 1 thereafter. The office of the health
6
insurance commissioner shall define the utilization and cost information required to be reported.
7

(d) This section shall not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for:
8

(1) Hospital confinement indemnity;
9

(2) Disability income;
10

(3) Accident only;
11

(4) Long-term care;
12

(5) Medicare supplement;
13

(6) Limited benefit health;
14

(7) Specified disease indemnity;
15

(8) Sickness or bodily injury or death by accident or both; and
16

(9) Other limited benefit policies.
17

(e) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the provisions of this
18
chapter shall supersede and shall control over any conflicting or inconsistent laws, including
19
general laws, special laws, or local laws, or any rule or regulation of the state including, but not
20
limited, to §§ 23-13-9, 27-41-2(21), 27-41-36 or any other state rule or regulation.
21
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027.
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LC003393
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LC003393 - Page 6 of 7
EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES
***
1
This bill would require health insurance plans to cover services provided by licensed
2
certified professional midwives. Insurers would be required to report utilization and cost data
3
annually and certain limited benefit policies would be exempt.
4
This act would take effect on January 1, 2027.
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LC003393
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LC003393 - Page 7 of 7