Virginia Democrats Unveil Budget Plan
House Democrats in Virginia unveiled a new budget proposal over the weekend aimed at supporting families through investments in health and social services. The plan is expected to direct resources toward maternal health programs and workforce development to address provider shortages, with specifics to be determined during negotiations.
- Virginia's maternal mortality rate was 32.7 per 100,000 live births between 2018 and 2022. The number of pregnancy-associated deaths in the state increased from 64 in 2021 to 67 in 2022. - Recent legislative efforts to address maternal health include establishing Medicaid reimbursement for doula services. As of January 2025, the reimbursement rate was $859 for up to eight prenatal and postpartum visits, plus labor support. - Effective July 1, 2025, legislation stemming from the 2025 General Assembly session expanded Medicaid postpartum doula visits from four to six and extended the availability of this service from six months to twelve months postpartum. - Governor Glenn Youngkin's budget proposal included $2.5 million for perinatal health hub pilot programs and $1 million to expand doula and community health worker programs, prioritizing areas with the highest maternal mortality rates. - The 2025 budget also included funding for a pilot program to create mobile maternal health clinics in underserved areas, with $2.5 million allocated to improve access and reduce geographic barriers to care. - A key budget item focused on achieving midwife parity in Medicaid reimbursement, adjusting rates for services provided by licensed certified midwives or licensed midwives to be the same as those for physicians or certified nurse midwives. - Virginia law allows for the licensure of Certified Professional Midwives and Certified Nurse-Midwives, with regulations ensuring they can practice independently without a written agreement with a physician. - To support the workforce, the state offers the Virginia Nurse Practitioner/Nurse-Midwife Scholarship Program, which provides financial aid to students who agree to practice in medically underserved areas.
