By APM ReportsThe nurse midwifery practice of providing emergency care to women in hospitals, nursing homes and community health centres has been banned by the Trump administration, a move that could further stigmatise the practice and lead to the closure of its operations.
The order, which came in a memorandum signed by acting secretary of health and human services David Shulkin on Monday, said the practice was no longer covered by Medicaid and Medicare and was no long covered by any of the health insurance exchanges in the United States.
It said the “diversity of practice” and the “continued importance of the provision of care” to women was an “important part of the national health care system”.
The new guidance was not legally binding and it is not clear whether the order applies to any of its predecessors, the order said.
The nurse Midwives Association of America, a trade group for the practice, welcomed the move but called on the administration to rescind the order.
“While the president’s recent order is still in effect, we hope that the administration will rescind it immediately and return to the practice of nurse midwives,” said Joanne Smith, the association’s vice president for public affairs.
The decision comes as the Trump White House tries to woo rural voters ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
Trump has promised to build a wall along the Mexican border to keep out illegal immigrants, tighten gun laws and close off public parks, and to impose a temporary ban on the entry of Syrian refugees into the United State.