The Michigan House Insurance Committee heard testimony on House Bills 4703 and 4704 on testimony presented by a legislative aide to Representative Jennifer Wirtz and by Disha Patel of the Centering Healthcare Institute.

Nicole, legislative aide to Representative Jennifer Wirtz, told the committee the bills "require health coverage for group prenatal care appointments" and described group prenatal care as an option that "gives new moms more time with providers and a chance to interface with other moms and hear about their experiences." Nicole said Representative Wirtz could not attend in person and was represented by staff.

Disha Patel, manager of health policy at the Centering Healthcare Institute, said Centering Pregnancy is an evidence-based group prenatal care model and urged the committee to support both bills. Patel told the committee the model "ensures that all Michigan mothers regardless of insurance type or location can access Centering Pregnancy," and said the approach can be delivered in person, by telehealth and by mobile units to address rural access challenges. Patel said Centering reduces health-system burden by lowering emergency-room use, reducing NICU admissions and avoiding hospitalizations, and that it supports local clinics without costly infrastructure expansion.

Patel also presented outcome data she said came from Centering sites in 2024: a preterm birth rate of 8.7 percent compared with a national average of 10.4 percent; a low-birth-weight rate of 6.1 percent versus a national average of 8.6 percent; and NICU admissions of 5.7 percent compared with a national average of 9.8 percent. Patel said the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has recognized group prenatal care models such as Centering Pregnancy as evidence-based practices and that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services cited Centering Pregnancy in reporting the state's lowest infant mortality rate on record.

Committee members asked how the bills would change current payment practices. Patel said Michigan Medicaid currently pays $45 per patient per session and that Medicaid covers federally qualified health centers; the bills would require commercial payers to cover the same benefit at the $45 rate. Patel said the Medicaid policy is currently written to cover only Medicaid patients and does not require commercial coverage.

Patel said there are 41 Centering Pregnancy sites in Michigan and that expansion is anticipated, citing continued allocation of $5,000,000 in grants for fiscal year 2026. Committee members confirmed with witnesses that the bills would not require pregnant patients to enroll in group care and that patients who opt out or who later leave a Centering group would continue with individual care with no additional patient fee.

No committee vote was taken on HB4703 or HB4704 during the hearing. Committee members asked questions of the witnesses and the chair read into the record multiple written statements of support from organizations including the Michigan Health & Hospital Association, the Michigan Council of Maternal and Child Health, Memorial Healthcare, and the American College of Nurse Midwives.

Looking ahead, witnesses urged committee members to direct questions about program implementation and reimbursement to Centering Healthcare Institute staff and to consider requiring parity in commercial coverage so the model is available to patients regardless of payer.