How to get insurance to pay for home birth?

[MrsTani]

My DH and I are considering switching from the birth center to home birth, but our biggest concern is how to get insurance (CIGNA) to cover it (they'd cover the BC). I had been under the impression since March 2008 that CIGNA wouldn't cover HB, but when I spoke with a home birth mw recently (Evelyn M., a CNM in Baltimore) she sounded surprised and said she has been able to get CIGNA to pay for her doing home births. Any useful links to help us with this? Thanks.

[SiobhanAoife]

I don't know what the Cigna PPO covers; Cigna HMO in CA just rejected my attempts to get them to pay for home birth, and said in writing that they simply won't

[filiadeluna]

I am curious about this too. I have Cigna PPO Open-Access Plus.

[MamaCaveBear]

This may be irrelevant for you guys, but maybe not. I have United Healthcare, and while they tell me they won't pay for a home birth, they will pay for a midwife who is insured and listed as a provider anywhere on their network (for well-woman care or whatever) and who will bill prenatal and the (home)birth together (called Global billing).

Now the challenge is finding such a midwife. Good luck.