New AMA billing codes set to increase maternity care costs

The American Medical Association, acting on a recommendation from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, will end the use of global payment codes for deliveries at the end of this year. Those bundled fees will be replaced with separate fee‑for‑service codes covering prenatal visits, postpartum care, fetal monitoring and other procedures.

Employers and Medicaid programs are expected to bear most of the added expense, as the new structure charges for each service rather than a single bundled amount. Analysts say this could modestly raise total medical spending on childbirth.

The shift comes amid broader pressures that are pushing health‑insurance premiums higher, and there is no clear evidence that the new billing approach will improve the United States’ already high maternal mortality and severe morbidity rates.