Midwives

Midwifery services are a benefit under the B.C. Midwifery Program for eligible British Columbia residents enrolled with the Medical Services Plan (MSP).  They are funded by the Ministry of Health.

Midwives in B.C. offer primary health care to healthy pregnant women and their newborn babies from early pregnancy, through labour and birth, and up to six weeks postpartum.

All new Midwives enrolling with MSP in B.C. will be required to sign a form as part of the registration process.

• Application for MSP Billing Number (Midwives) Form (PDF, 117KB) (effective April 1, 2009)

Midwives On Service Contracts

The following information is intended to assist midwives on service contracts in tracking services provided.

• Midwifery Alternative Payment Arrangement Application (PDF, 1.4MB)
• Directions for Midwifery Encounter Reporting and Shadow Billing (PDF, 134.4KB)
• Midwifery Service Contract FAQ

Midwifery Agreements and Payment Schedule

The following documents are related to the most recent agreements between the MABC and the Ministry of Health.

Current Agreements:

• Temporary changes to the Midwifery Payment Schedule during the COVID-19 pandemic (PDF, 128KB) - Updated February 1, 2021
• 2022-2025 Midwifery Main Agreement and Rural Subsidiary Agreement – signed March 7, 2024
• Midwifery Preamble and Payment Schedule (PDF, 397KB) – effective October 1, 2023

Midwifery Referrals

Midwives can make referrals to many medical specialists, and directly request many diagnostic procedures and laboratory tests.

1. Medical Specialists that Midwives may refer to for Consultations

SPECIALTY	SPECIALTY CODE
ANAESTHESIA	18
CARDIOLOGY	26
CLINCIAL IMMUNOLOGY AND ALLERY	45
DERMATOLOGY	01
ENDOCRINOLOGY	51
GASTROENTEROLOGY	56
GENERAL SURGERY	08
HEMATOLOGY ONCOLOGY	74
INFECTIOUS DISEASES	67
INTERNAL MEDICINE	15
NEPHROLOGY	59
OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY	05
ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY	10
PAEDIATICS	14
PSYCHIATRY	03

2. Procedures that Midwives may request directly for Patients

FEE ITEM NAME	FEE CODE
AMNIOCENTESIS, TRANSABDOMINAL	00787
DOPPLER ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY	08679
EXTREMITY B SCAN	08658
FOETAL HEART MONITORING  - INTERPRETATION ONLY	00790
GUIDED AMNIOCENTESIS	04680
INJECTION, VENEPUNCTURE	00012
OBS B SCAN (14 WKS GESTATION OR OVER) - ADD FETUSES	86051
OBS B SCAN < 14 WKS/NUCHAL TRANSLUCENCY - ADD FETUS	86056
OBS.B-SCAN < 14 WKS/NUCHAL TRANSLUCENCY-SINGLES	86055
PELVIC B SCAN – NON-OBSTETRICAL	08653
RENAL B SCAN	08649

3. Laboratory Tests that Midwives may request directly for Patients

The Laboratory Services Act (LSA) came into force on October 1, 2015. The LSA replaces the Medicare Protection Act and the Hospital Insurance Act as the authority for insuring laboratory services and consolidates the responsibility for all publicly-funded laboratory services in British Columbia. For information on laboratory service benefits under the Laboratory Services Act, visit the Laboratory Services website.

There are currently 100 different laboratory tests that Midwives may request directly for their patients.

Listing of Laboratory Tests Midwives may Request (PDF, 113KB)

Enrolment

Midwives who are licensed by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) are eligible to enrol with MSP and obtain MSP billing numbers.

Enrolment status, and, therefore, the possession of an active billing number, is contingent upon the practitioner's continued licensure by the BCCNM. Any change in licensure must be reported to HIBC to avoid errors in the processing of claims.

• Enrolment

Preamble and Payment Schedule

Midwives can provide a wide array of services to their patients. However, only the services listed in the MSC Payment Schedule can be billed to MSP.

• Preamble and Payment Schedule

Referrals

Midwives can make referrals to many medical specialists, and directly request many diagnostic procedures and laboratory tests. Learn more about what referrals are billable to MSP and how to make a referral.

• Referrals