ACTION ALERT: Anti-Midwifery Bills in the VA House of Delegates

Please take action now to stop two bills HB 2163 and HB 2167 introduced into the House to limit the practice of Certified Professional Midwives.  These bills have been introduced by Delegate Matthew Lohr- Harrisonburg. 

URGENT: Please send him an email TODAY telling him that you would like him to pull these bills from the docket and to work to help increase access to midwives, rather than restrict it.  You can also call his office: (804) 698-1026.

NEXT: Contact your legislators and tell them that you oppose HB 2163 and HB 2167.  You can visit the VA Birth PAC to find out who your legislators are and register to receive updates on this important issue.

STILL MORE: Contact everyone you know who lives in the Harrisonburg area.  Ask them to contact Del Lohr TODAY to express their concerns about these bills.  He filed these bills for a single constituent, he needs to hear from 50 who oppose them.

STAY TUNED:  We will be sending updates through all available channels.  If you are not registered with the VA BirthPAC…please do so NOW!  We need all of our voices united!!!!!

HB 2163, is a bill to amend § 54.1-2957.9 (the CPM statute).
What is wrong with it:

The proposed legislation would add an amendment requiring midwives to give informed disclosure to their clients about the risks associated with home deliveries and with some specific pregnancy conditions. This legislation is redundant to the existing statute that already requires that licensed midwives in Virginia hold the designation of Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) and practice according to the standards of the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives.

• CPMs are required by their certification to give a written informed disclosure regarding their experience, training, and the risks and benefits of home birth to every client at the beginning of care.
• The NARM Job Analysis (cited in the VA statute) specifies the principles of informed consent and the conditions that may require additional education and informed decision making. The conditions cited in HB 2163 are included in this list.
• The NACPM standards of practice (also cited in the VA statute)  refer to informed consent and requirements for education and information of CPM clients.
• The Virginia Licensed Midwife regulations already require that informed consent be obtained before any invasive procedure is performed.

Our biggest concern is that by opening the CPM statute, we will be vulnerable to other amendments that will not be redundant.

HB 2167 is a bill to require the Board of Medicine and the Department of Medical Assistance Services to review regulations and policies to ensure that no reimbursement is made to certified professional midwives providing services in high-risk situations, including high-risk home deliveries.
 

What is wrong with it:

This legislation is discriminatory to low-income women.  Any woman who qualifies for Medicaid is designated “high-risk” based on her socio-economic status.  Midwifery care, by way of its hallmarks of increased education, support, and respect, has been proven to benefit women who are at risk for pregnancy complications. Evidenced-Based Care does not support restricting access to home birth to women based on perceived risk. This is a bill intended to discourage VBAC, thereby mandating surgical deliveries to women with prior c-sections in some Virginia communities.

Thank you for your time and attention to this important issue.  We have accomplished so much together, let’s not let anyone take away what we fought so hard to obtain!

Brynne Potter, CPM

Commonwealth Midwives Alliance