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SB 2381

AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jonathon Acosta and 9 co-sponsors

Requires Rhode Island health plans to cover licensed certified professional midwife services starting Jan 1, 2027, with standard reimbursement and annual utilization reporting.

05/05/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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Bill Summary · SB 2381

Bill Summary: SB 2381 (Rhode Island, 2026)

Title

AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES

Purpose and Intent

SB 2381 would require health insurance plans in Rhode Island to provide coverage for services provided by licensed certified professional midwives (CPMs). The bill sets parameters for reimbursement, reporting, and scope, aligning CPM services with those currently reimbursed when provided by other licensed healthcare professionals. It aims to ensure access to CPM-led maternity and related care while maintaining consistency with insurers’ existing reimbursement and credentialing practices.

Key Provisions

  • Definition: A certified professional midwife (CPM) is a trained midwife who completed an accredited program, holds current certification from the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), and is licensed to practice in Rhode Island under § 23-13-9.

  • Coverage Trigger (Effective Jan 1, 2027):

    • All individual and group health insurance contracts, hospital/medical expense policies, plans, or group policies delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027 must cover CPM services.
    • Coverage is required if CPM services fall within the CPM’s professional competence, as defined by the standard developed by the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA) in collaboration with the Department of Health.
    • Reimbursement must follow the insurer’s existing principles for reimbursement, credentialing, and contracting.
    • Insurers cannot require supervision, signature, or referral by another provider as a prerequisite to reimbursement, except where those requirements exist for other healthcare providers.
    • No duplication payment: insurers cannot pay for duplicate services rendered by both a CPM and another healthcare provider.

  • Utilization and Cost Reporting (Effective July 1, 2027, and annually thereafter):

    • Insurers covering CPM services must report utilization and cost data related to CPM services to the Rhode Island Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC).
    • OHIC will define the specific data to be reported.

  • Exemptions:

    • The law does not apply to certain limited-coverage or high-risk policy categories, including:
    • Hospital confinement indemnity
    • Disability income
    • Accident-only
    • Long-term care
    • Medicare supplement
    • Limited benefit health
    • Specified disease indemnity
    • Sickness or bodily injury or death by accident or both
    • Other limited benefit policies

  • Supremacy of Law:

    • In case of conflicts with other laws or regulations, the provisions of this chapter would take precedence.

  • Related Chapters Amended:

    • Adds CPM coverage requirements to:
    • Chapter 27-18 (Accident and Sickness Insurance Policies)
    • Chapter 27-19 (Nonprofit Hospital Service Corporations)
    • Chapter 27-20 (Nonprofit Medical Service Corporations)
    • Chapter 27-41 (Health Maintenance Organizations)

  • Effective Date:

    • The act takes effect January 1, 2027.

Who Would Be Affected

  • Covered Parties: Individuals and groups with health insurance policies (including nonprofit hospital and medical service organizations and health maintenance organizations) delivering or renewing on or after Jan 1, 2027.
  • CPMs: Licensed professionals certified by NARM and practicing within Rhode Island.
  • Insurers: Health insurers, hospital service corporations, medical service corporations, and HMOs operating in Rhode Island, subject to the new coverage and reporting requirements.
  • OHIC: Responsible for defining reporting metrics and collecting utilization/cost data.

Timeline and Procedural Aspects

  • Introduction: January 30, 2026.
  • Coverage requirement begins: January 1, 2027.
  • Mandatory reporting to OHIC begins: July 1, 2027, with annual July 1 updates thereafter.
  • The act would supersede conflicting state laws to the extent specified.

Potential Impact

  • Expands access to CPM-led maternity and related services within private and nonprofit health plans.
  • Standardizes reimbursement mechanisms to align CPM services with other licensed providers.
  • Introduces data collection on CPM utilization and costs to inform policy decisions.
  • Excludes certain limited-benefit or high-risk policy categories from CPM coverage.

Note: The bill is currently in the 2026 session with a scheduled hearing/consideration.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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