Can a Midwife Sign a Therapy Plan of Care

A question I get every so often is can a midwife sign a plan of care for a Medicare beneficiary attending outpatient therapy services. In addition, what professionals can sign an outpatient therapy plan of care? In this article, I will answer both of these questions.

Midwifery education programs leading to the certified nurse midwife (CNM) and certified midwife (CM) credentials involve graduate education. Most programs require a Bachelors Degree for entry, but some will accept Registered Nurses (RNs) without a Bachelors Degree, providing a bridge program to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) prior to the midwifery portion of the program. Some programs leading to the CNM credential require a BSN prior to entry, but many will accept an individual who has a Bachelors Degree but is not an RN, and will provide an accelerated nursing education prior to the midwifery portion of the program. Programs leading to the CM credential require a Bachelors Degree and specific health and science courses prior to entry.

So now, lets answer the question of can a midwife sign a plan of care for a Medicare beneficiary attending outpatient therapy services? The answer is