Upcoming billing change could make pregnancy pricier

HealthWatch Upcoming billing change could make pregnancy pricier .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-healthwatch.jpg'); } By Michelle Andrews June 3, 2026 / 5:00 AM EDT / KFF Health News Add CBS News on Google Having a baby in the United States is about to get more complicated.Under new billing codes that take effect in January, doctors who manage maternity care will start charging à la carte for visits and services related to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. It's an about-face from recent years, when doctors have often received a single "bundled" payment for maternity care they provided. Although OB-GYNs strongly back the change and have pushed for it for years, some patient advocates and employers say it's an open question whether the new system will result in better care or increased patient costs.The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists says the change is crucial to accurately reflect the care OB-GYNs currently provide, with expectant patients — some older and sicker than in decades past — more likely to have complex medical and social needs and receive care in multiple settings from multiple practitioners.For example, under current bundled obstetrics coding, the number of prenatal visits is set at a fairly arbitrary 13, "which is not really what most people need," said Lisa Hofler, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of New Mexico and a member of the ACOG committee that developed the new codes in conjunction with the American Medical Association. The new fee-for-service codes will better accommodate more or fewer visits, either in person or remotely, based on individual needs.Likewise, under the current system, "if someone comes in for a birth, no matter how long or how short their labor or how complicated or uncomplicated their delivery, the global reporting is the same because we only have one code," Hofler said.The new, more precise...