Bill
H 4334
Mandates coverage and pay parity for certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) with physicians across MA state plans and insurers, expanding access to CNM services.
Status snapshot
- Bill number: H 4334
- Classification: Document contains two distinct measures: (1) an Act titled “An Act to increase access to nurse‑midwifery services” (statutory amendments); and (2) a concurrent resolution recognizing two Beaufort County deputies for receiving a Medal of Valor.
- Key dates / actions:
- Nurse‑midwifery Act: Filed 7/25/2025; committee report (Financial Services) recommending passage 7/31/2025; reported favorably and referred to the Committee on Health Care Financing (7/31/2025). A new draft of H1127 was also produced 7/31/2025.
- Concurrent resolution (Medal of Valor): Introduced and adopted by the House 4/9–4/10/2025 and returned with concurrence (both chambers).
Note on contents
- The deposited text appears to combine two separate legislative items in one document: a Massachusetts statutory bill to expand coverage/reimbursement for certified nurse‑midwives, and a South Carolina concurrent resolution honoring two deputies (Sergeant Christian D. Anderson and Corporal Christopher Partridge). The summary below treats each separately.
1) Act to increase access to nurse‑midwifery services — main purpose and key provisions
- Purpose: Require health plans and the Commonwealth’s group insurance to cover and reimburse certified nurse‑midwives (CNMs) at parity with physicians for services within the CNM’s authorized scope, thereby increasing access to nurse‑midwifery care.
- Statutory changes (by chapter):
- Chapter 32A (state group insurance): New Section 35 — Commonwealth active and retired employees covered under the Group Insurance Commission must be provided coverage for services rendered by CNMs; reimbursement rate for a CNM’s service must equal the payment rate for the same service when performed by a physician.
- Chapter 175, Section 47E: Adds language requiring reimbursement for covered services to be the same amount paid to a licensed physician in the service area; insurers may not reduce physician reimbursement in order to comply.
- Chapter 176A: Inserts Section 8EEE — individual and group hospital service plans delivered/issued/renewed in the Commonwealth must provide CNM services as a benefit and reimburse CNMs at the same rate as physicians.
- Chapter 176B, Section 4G: Amended to require parity in reimbursement (same amount as physician) and precludes insurers from lowering physician reimbursement to meet the requirement.
- Chapter 176G, Section 4: Adds subsection (g) — HMOs must cover CNM services (subject to negotiated agreements) and reimburse CNMs the same amount paid to physicians in the area; insurers may not reduce physician reimbursement to comply.
- Who is affected:
- Certified nurse‑midwives licensed under Mass. Gen. Laws ch.112 §80C.
- Insured individuals covered by Commonwealth GIC plans, individual and group hospital service plans, and HMOs operating in Massachusetts.
- Insurers, health maintenance organizations, and physician providers (reimbursement parity requirement).
- Potential impact:
- Expands statutory coverage and establishes payment parity between CNMs and physicians for equivalent services, which may increase utilization of CNMs and broaden access to prenatal, delivery, and related women’s health services. The bill also constrains insurer adjustments to physician fees as a compliance mechanism.
- Procedural note: As of 7/31/2025, the bill had a favorable report from the Financial Services committee and was referred to Health Care Financing for further consideration.
2) Concurrent resolution — Medal of Valor (South Carolina)
- Purpose: Officially recognize and congratulate Sergeant Christian D. Anderson and Corporal Christopher Partridge (Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office) for exceptional courage and for receiving the South Carolina Sheriffs’ Association 2024 Medal of Valor.
- Summary of incident cited: On November 4, 2023, while assigned to a special enforcement unit, the deputies engaged in a vehicle pursuit of a wanted violent offender in Bluffton. The suspect fired on pursuing officers; the deputies performed a precision immobilization technique, the suspect crashed and was subsequently fatally shot when an immediate threat was perceived. A front‑seat passenger was unharmed.
- Resolution action: Adopted by the House and concurred by the Senate in April 2025; provides for presentation of a copy of the resolution to the deputies and notes the Medal of Valor presentation scheduled for April 23, 2025.
If you want, I can:
- Produce a side‑by‑side comparison showing exact statutory text changes, or
- Draft a short plain‑language explainer aimed at health‑care consumers about how the nurse‑midwifery provisions would affect coverage and billing.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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