(a) Qualifications. For Medicare coverage of his or her services, a certified nurse-midwife must:

(1) Be a registered nurse who is legally authorized to practice as a nurse-midwife in the State where services are performed;

(2) Have successfully completed a program of study and clinical experience for nurse-midwives that is accredited by an accrediting body approved by the U.S. Department of Education; and

(3) Be certified as a nurse-midwife by the American College of Nurse-Midwives or the American College of Nurse-Midwives Certification Council.

(b) Services. A certified nurse-midwife's services are services furnished by a certified nurse-midwife and services and supplies furnished as an incident to the certified nurse-midwife's services that—

(1) Are within the scope of practice authorized by the law of the State in which they are furnished and would otherwise be covered if furnished by a physician or as an incident to a physician's service; and

(2) Unless required by State law, are provided without regard to whether the certified nurse-midwife is under the supervision of, or associated with, a physician or other health care provider.

(c) Incident to services: Basic rule. Medicare Part B covers services and supplies incident to the services of a certified nurse-midwife if the requirements of §410.26 are met.

(d) Professional services. A nurse-midwife can be paid for professional services only when the services have been performed personally by the nurse-midwife.

(1) Supervision of other nonphysician staff by a nurse-midwife does not constitute personal performance of a professional service by the nurse-midwife.

(2) The service is provided on an assignment-related basis, and a nurse-midwife may not charge a beneficiary for a service not payable under this provision. If the beneficiary has made payment for a service, the nurse-midwife must make the appropriate refund to the beneficiary.

(3) A nurse-midwife may provide services that he or she is legally authorized to perform under State law as a nurse-midwife, if the services would otherwise be covered by the Medicare program when furnished by a physician or incident to a physicians' professional services.

(e) Medical record documentation. For certified nurse-midwives' services, the certified nurse-midwife may review and verify (sign and date), rather than re-document, notes in a patient's medical record made by physicians; residents; nurses; medical, physician assistant, and advanced practice registered nurse students; or other members of the medical team, including, as applicable, notes documenting the certified nurse-midwife's presence and participation in the service.

[63 FR 58909, Nov. 2, 1998, as amended at 78 FR 74811, Dec. 10, 2013; 84 FR 63191, Nov. 15, 2019]