Pregnant women can now benefit from a reference midwife to monitor their pregnancy and the post-natal period.
- Pregnant women can now benefit from a reference midwife to monitor their pregnancy and the post-natal period.
- The referring midwife is the coordinator of perinatal care (before, during and after pregnancy), in liaison with the doctor who follows the pregnant woman.
- The referring midwife is paid in a flat rate that is 100% covered by maternity insurance. There is therefore no advance cost for the pregnant woman.
Planned since the law of April 26, 2021, the long-awaited implementing decree arrived on November 11, 2023. It allows pregnant women to choose a midwife to monitor their pregnancy. The administrative process is identical to what was done for the choice of the attending physician.
Coordination with the doctor during and after pregnancy
This measure is planned to improve the health system and ensure “ there care coordination of the insured person in conjunction with the doctor, during and after pregnancy and informs her in particular of pregnancy appointments, postnatal follow-up and medical follow-up of the infant “.
To do this, the pregnant woman must declare (via a dedicated form) the midwife referring to the primary health insurance fund (CPAM) to which she is affiliated, from the first medical confirmation of her pregnancy but before the end of the 5th month.
The referral midwife service ends 14 weeks after delivery.
Monitoring and prevention missions for mother and child
These main missions are from :
- inform the patient about her pregnancy journey and the medical follow-up of the infant;
- carry out the majority of appointments during the pregnancy and postnatal follow-up;
- ensure a prevention role throughout the journey (vaccination, hygiene, postpartum depression, etc.);
- liaise with the maternity ward and the attending physician and ensure that the patient has scheduled home monitoring upon leaving the maternity ward;
- inform the patient of her rights and administrative procedures;
The referring midwife is therefore considered a coordinator of perinatal care (before, during and after pregnancy).
Full coverage by Health Insurance
On the other hand, the referring midwife is not required to carry out pregnancy ultrasounds, if she does not perform them, nor medical follow-up examinations of the pregnancy, if they are carried out in the maternity ward.
Payment for this follow-up is made directly by Health Insurance to the midwife. In fact, the reference midwives are paid, for these missions, by flat rate covered 100% under maternity insurance. Patients therefore do not have to pay to advance these costs.
