(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has signed into law legislation he proposed earlier this year that will license free-standing birth centers and allow them to operate in Connecticut, serving as an alternative to traditional hospitals for low-risk pregnancies and deliveries with the goal of expanding access and increasing choices to high-quality maternal health services.
The governor said that this new law is needed to fill geographic and financial gaps that often prevent patients from receiving needed birthing care. It was also proposed in response to several pending requests submitted by hospitals to close their labor and delivery facilities. Additionally, it is about creating more choices for those who are planning to give birth and how they want to deliver.
“This new law will help combat gaps in access to maternal health care that are preventing patients from receiving the care they need,” Governor Lamont said. “These birth centers can open and operate independently, creating an alternative that makes accessing this essential care easier and more convenient and giving parents more choices on where to receive their birthing care. It is a moral imperative that we take actions to ensure safe delivery and add more choices for giving birth, no matter a family’s background.”
“Having a baby is a big enough life change without having to worry about access to life-saving healthcare,” Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz said. “This is why addressing maternal health outcomes was one of our administration’s top legislative priorities this session. No person should simply accept surviving their childbirth experiences as success. By allowing free-standing birth centers, creating certification pathways for doulas, and designing a program for universal home visiting, we are working to create better experiences for Connecticut’s families.”
In recent years, overall pregnancy-associated deaths have consistently increased among all race and age groups. The situation is even more dire among Black populations, which consistently sees higher rates of maternal mortality at national and state levels. Between 2015 and 2017, persons of color made up 44.9% of those giving birth and 63.6% of all pregnancy-related deaths. This can be attributed to lack of equitable access to health care resources, including providers.
Nationwide statistics find that birth centers save about $2,100 per infant mother pair, while also decreasing the number of cesarean births. They have also been shown to increase vaginal births after cesarean deliveries and reduce preterm births.
“Childbirth is supposed to be a time of happiness – not a time when people are stressed about how they’re going to cover costs or gain access to safe and quality care,” Connecticut Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD, said. “This new law is an opportunity to have birthing centers take maternal care to another level while at the same time helping birthing people in this very special moment of their lives.”
Specifically, this new law:
- Requires the Connecticut Department of Public Health to oversee the licensing of birth centers;
- Prohibits anyone from establishing or operating a birth center unless it obtains a license;
- Establishes a doula certification program administered by the Connecticut Department of Public Health; and
- Directs the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood to design a statewide program for universal nurse home visiting, building on a pilot program in the Greater Bridgeport area that provides a population-level solution to offer care and services early in an infant’s life.
The legislation is Public Act 23-147. It was approved by unanimous votes in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
