| 12 | 13 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1 |
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| 13 | 14 | | AN ACT TO ENACT THE BIRTH FREEDOM ACT . 2 |
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| 14 | 15 | | The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3 |
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| 15 | 16 | | SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 58-3-170 reads as rewritten: 4 |
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| 16 | 17 | | "§ 58-3-170. Requirements for maternity coverage. 5 |
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| 17 | 18 | | (a) Every entity providing a health benefit plan that provides maternity coverage in this 6 |
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| 18 | 19 | | State shall provide benefits for the necessary care and treatment related to maternity that are no 7 |
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| 19 | 20 | | less favorable than benefits for physical illness generally. 8 |
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| 20 | 21 | | … 9 |
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| 21 | 22 | | (c) All health benefit plans providing maternity coverage shall ensure that this coverage 10 |
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| 22 | 23 | | includes all necessary services and care for births occurring, or planned to occur, under the 11 |
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| 23 | 24 | | supervision of a qualified healthcare provider, at home or at a birthing center." 12 |
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| 24 | 25 | | SECTION 1.(b) This section is effective October 1, 2025, and applies to insurance 13 |
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| 25 | 26 | | contracts issued, renewed, or amended on and after that date. 14 |
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| 26 | 27 | | SECTION 2. The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health 15 |
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| 27 | 28 | | Benefits, shall ensure that beneficiaries of the Medicaid program have access to all of the 16 |
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| 28 | 29 | | necessary services and care for births occurring, or planned to occur, at home or at a birthing 17 |
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| 29 | 30 | | center and shall provide reimbursement for these services in the same manner as other maternity 18 |
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| 30 | 31 | | coverage. A rate equal to ninety percent (90%) of the average commercial rate shall be paid for 19 |
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| 31 | 32 | | these services. These services shall be added as soon as possible on or after July 1, 2025. 20 |
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| 32 | 33 | | SECTION 3.(a) G.S. 135-48.51 reads as rewritten: 21 |
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| 33 | 34 | | "§ 135-48.51. Coverage and operational mandates related to Chapter 58 of the General 22 |
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| 34 | 35 | | Statutes. 23 |
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| 35 | 36 | | The following provisions of Chapter 58 of the General Statutes apply to the State Health Plan: 24 |
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| 36 | 37 | | (1) G.S. 58-3-170, Requirements for maternity coverage. 25 |
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| 37 | 38 | | (1a) G.S. 58-3-191, Managed care reporting and disclosure requirements. 26 |
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| 38 | 39 | | …." 27 |
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| 39 | 40 | | SECTION 3.(b) Effective July 1, 2025, there is appropriated from the General Fund 28 |
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| 40 | 41 | | to the Department of State Treasurer the sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) 29 |
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| 41 | 42 | | in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to be used to create greater access to 30 |
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| 42 | 43 | | maternity care provided at birthing centers in this State under the North Carolina State Health 31 |
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| 43 | 44 | | Plan for Teachers and State Employees (State Health Plan). Incentives to be considered by the 32 |
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| 44 | 45 | | Board of Trustees of the State Health Plan shall ultimately result in cost-savings to the State 33 |
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| 45 | 46 | | Health Plan and may include subsidies not to exceed one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) 34 |
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