Military covering homebirth

[catholic74]

Is there anyone who is military who has had their homebirth covered while living in California? We will be moving to the Monterey area this summer with the military and I would like to look into homebirth coverage. I had my last baby at home (on a military installation), but we payed for it out of pocket. I understand there are circumstances where the military will pay for homebirths. Does anyone know if this is the case in California and also, a good place to find a midwife in the Monterey area.

I am not pregnant yet, by the way, but plan to try to concieve this summer and I want to be prepared and informed beforehand.

[mbhf]

Tricare will cover a homebirth CNM, sometimes you have to switch to standard sometimes not. At this time other midwives are not covered, only CNMs. I have had luck just googling whatever my next town is and homebirth, generally a couple (or more) of MWs have websites and the states regulations are all easily found that way. Sometimes even a homebirth group. It's a good place to get started, as is the finding your tribe forum here.

[Plummeting]

Yup, what she said. The issue with whether or not you have to switch to Standard is easy to explain. If there are in network CNMs who only do hospital births in your area, then you have to switch to Standard to get coverage. If there are no in network CNMs in your area (that's under 60 minutes drive time according to federal law enacted last February) then you can remain on Prime and get an exception for an out of network CNM. If there is an in network CNM who does do home births, then you can also remain on Prime, but I don't know if any of these exist. lol

[gentlestrengths]

When we were stationed in Hawaii, my midwife submitted paperwork and got paid quite a bit, as out of network (Tricare standard). They will also pay for some types of visits, lab work is definitely covered no matter who cares for you. My midwife is a CPM/LM - not a CNM. So we were pretty shocked. Still, they paid her.