Lamont signs law to create free-standing birth centers in Connecticut

Gov. Ned Lamont signed Public Act 23-147 into law, which will enable the licensing of free-standing birth centers and allow them to operate in Connecticut as an alternative to traditional hospitals for low-risk pregnancies and deliveries.

According to the governor, the new law will result in the expansion of access to high-quality maternal health services at a time when the state is facing several pending requests submitted by hospitals to close their labor and delivery facilities. He also noted pregnancy-associated deaths have consistently increased among all race and age groups over the past few years, particularly among Black populations, which he attributed to lack of equitable access to health care providers.

The new law will require the Connecticut Department of Public Health to oversee the licensing of birth centers and will prohibits unlicensed operations from doing business. It will also establish a doula certification program administered by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and will require the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood to design a statewide program for universal nurse home visiting that is inspired by 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.

Lamont noted that nationwide statistics involving birth centers have shown savings of about $2,100 per infant-mother pair while also decreasing the number of cesarean births.

“This new law will help combat gaps in access to maternal health care that are preventing patients from receiving the care they need,” 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.”

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