To understand why insurance companies don’t pay well for homebirth in America, one needs to appreciate the absolute power and control of the American Medical Association.
The AMA spends hundreds of millions of dollars per year on lobbying it’s causes. It lobbied against non-medical exemptions of mandatory vaccines, and for the ongoing use of animals in biomedical research, climate change and gun control. The AMA spends the most money on lobbying, second only to the American Chamber of Commerce.
Consequently, when the AMA makes a resolution, insurance companies listen. It so happens that the AMA recommends women deliver in hospitals or birthing centers within hospitals-not at home.
The AMA’s motivation to obstruct homebirth does not stem from concern for the safety of mothers and babies. Science supports homebirth as a reasonable and safe option. The true motivation of the AMA is greed.
The AMA would lose money and power if they acknowledged the safety of homebirth for low risk women. If the AMA endorsed homebirth, insurance companies would fall in line and pay for homebirth costs. Doctors and hospitals would stand to lose up to 28% of the revenue generated by childbirth.
In countries where homebirth is a covered benefit, such as the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Netherlands, France, Germany, homebirth rates are as high as 30%, compared to 2% in the U.S.
The AMA is not only greedy, but also misogynistic to try to control women’s reproductive rights. In the end, it is a woman’s choice how she births her baby. She shouldn’t suffer financial penalties for choosing Homebirth.