Summary:

 House Bill56 (HB 56) relates to health care by requiring the Secretary of Health Authority to ensure that Medicaid reimbursement for services provided at birth centers is the same as reimbursement for services provided at hospitals. 

Legislation Overview:

 House Bill 56 (HB56) creates a new section of the Public Assistance Act that requires the Secretary adopt rules to ensure that services provided to a Medicaid recipient at a birth center are reimbursed at the same rate as equivalent services provided at a hospital.
Birth center means a freestanding birth center licensed by the state for the primary purpose of performing low-risk deliveries that is not a hospital, attached to a hospital or in a hospital and where births are planned to occur away from the pregnant person's residence following a low-risk pregnancy.
Definitions for Medicaid and Medicaid recipient are also included in the language of HB56.
 

Amendments:

 Amended February 10, 2025 in HCEDC
HCEDCA/ HB56 The Commerce and Economic Development Committee amends HB56 to read:
“ 1. On page 1, line 12, strike "ENSURE THAT" and insert in lieu thereof "MAKE". 
2. On page 1, line 13, strike "IS THE SAME AS" and insert in lieu thereof "SIMILAR TO". 
3. On page 2, strike lines 9 through 12 and insert in lieu thereof: "B. The secretary shall adopt rules that: (1) create a methodology to determine medicaid facility fee reimbursement rates for birth centers that are comparable to rates for similar services provided at a hospital; and (2) require annual increases to birth center facility fee reimbursement rates that are equivalent to hospital reimbursement rate increases."".
HB56a is referred to