Eligibility and obtaining home birth services

In order to provide home birth services, you first must verify that a patient is a Kaiser Permanente member. Contact Member Services or check member eligibility via the Eligibility Inquiry tool .

A Kaiser Permanente member may self-refer to a contracted home birth practitioner for an initial examination to determine whether she meets our criteria as a candidate for home birth. These services are part of the women's health care options we offer our members.

You must perform a home assessment to determine the home’s suitability for a safe labor and delivery. If the assessment determines that the home is unsuitable for a home delivery, and you and the member agree to a birth center delivery, you must request prior authorization for birth center delivery from Kaiser Permanente. At the time of authorization, you must provide Kaiser Permanente with information detailing the member’s eligibility for a birth center delivery and identify the contracted birth center to be used.

You do not need a prior authorization to provide home birth services if the woman meets all screening criteria, including any necessary consultation. Send the screening results to the woman's primary care provider or personal physician immediately following the assessment to help us maintain current, comprehensive health records. If you are unsure who your patient's primary care provider is, contact Member Services at 1-888-901-4636.

Contact one of our pregnancy services resources if you need an obstetric consultation regarding a member's eligibility for home birth services. Document the consultation in the member's medical record.