Alternative birth centers: licensing and Medi-Cal reimbursement.

Assembly Member Bonta proposes modifying California's alternative birth center regulations by removing requirements for comprehensive perinatal services certification and hospital proximity while establishing new standards for hospital transfer protocols.

The legislation revises licensing criteria for alternative birth centers, requiring written policies for hospital transfers rather than physical proximity to emergency facilities. Centers must maintain two qualified attendants during births, with at least one being a physician, licensed midwife, or certified nurse-midwife. The bill also mandates that centers provide patients with information about child passenger restraint laws, available programs, and safety risks.

For Medi-Cal reimbursement, the bill maintains the existing rate structure capped at 80% of contracted hospital rates while exempting alternative birth centers from certain payment reductions. Centers must meet American Association of Birth Centers certification standards or equivalent requirements as determined by state health officials. The Department of Health Care Services retains authority to implement these changes through provider bulletins and policy letters without formal rulemaking, contingent upon federal approval.

Primary care clinics offering alternative birth services must obtain a permit certifying compliance with the new requirements but do not need additional licenses. The bill creates a state-mandated local program by establishing new requirements that, if violated, constitute a crime.