42 CFR 410.77 – Certified nurse-midwives’ services: Qualifications and conditions
(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 services of a certified nurse-midwife are provided on an assignment-related basis, and the certified nurse-midwife may not charge a beneficiary in excess of the amounts permitted under 42 CFR 424.55. If a beneficiary has made payment for a service in excess of these limits, the certified nurse-midwife must refund the full amount of the impermissible charge 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.