MAMA Campaign: A New Foundation for Federal Recognition of CPMs

November 17, 2015

This webinar from explains how NACPM has stepped up to lead the campaign for federal recognition of CPMs.  After two years of quiet but persistent relationship-building in Washington, DC, beginning in the summer of 2015, NACPM has re-engaged our original MAMA Campaign partner organizations as campaign advisors: North American Registry of Midwives, Midwifery Education Accreditation Council, Citizens for Midwifery, International Center for Traditional Childbearing, and Midwives Alliance of North America.  With renewed spirit and focus, we are also pleased to announce that the National Association of Birth Centers and Clinics of Color (NABCCC) has joined the MAMA Campaign advisory committee.  Furthermore, we are working closely with other important allies, particularly the ACNM which is now actively supporting our efforts for federal recognition of CPMs.

In June 2015, with new opportunities on the horizon, NACPM re-engaged our lobbyist Billy Wynne and his colleagues at Thorne Run Partners.  With a wealth of experience and a commitment to our cause, these experts are able to inform our overall strategy and gain access to key Congressional offices for support.  We have drafted new bill language that would amend federal Medicare/Medicaid statutes to mandate coverage of CPM services and define CPMs in statute for the purposes of reimbursement by Medicaid.  New provisions in the draft bill also include Certified Midwives (CM) in federal Medicare and Medicaid, a long-held priority of the ACNM.

Mary Lawlor, Executive Director of NACPM, discussed the new strategy for the MAMA Campaign that incorporates US MERA agreements into the federal bill, opening up exciting and entirely new opportunities for federal recognition for CPMs.
Download Mary Lawlor’s presentation slides

Jesse Bushman, Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs at ACNM, presented an overview of the provisions in the federal draft bill to include Certified Midwives in the federal Medicaid program, opportunities for new joint CPM/CM/CNM advocacy, and securing ACOG support.

Billy Wynne of Thorn Run Partners, NACPM health policy consultant and federal lobbyist, discussed the Campaign’s strategy for success with Congress and federal agencies, and opportunities during the current Congress for moving this important legislation forward. Download Billy Wynne’s presentation slides

Jennie Joseph, CPM, a British-trained midwife, women’s health advocate, the founder and executive director of Commonsense Childbirth Inc. and the creator of The JJ Way®, shared how critical nationwide Medicaid reimbursement for CPMs is to improving the health and saving the lives of childbearing women in the U.S., especially the most vulnerable. Download Jennie Joseph’s presentation slides