Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Amendment 2024

# Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Amendment 2024 ## What it does The government is expanding its insurance support for midwives who deliver babies outside hospitals. The scheme now specifically covers the full cost of legal settlements and compensation claims for midwives providing "intrapartum care" (labour and birth assistance) in out-of-hospital settings. It also adds new definitions around "Birthing on Country" — a culturally safe model of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pregnant people. ## Why it matters Midwives working outside hospitals have faced higher insurance costs because they're riskier to insure. By having the government cover these costs, more midwives can afford to offer out-of-hospital births, giving pregnant people more choice — especially Indigenous Australians accessing culturally appropriate care on their country. ## Key details - **Who's affected:** Midwives and their insurers offering labour and birth care outside hospitals; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities accessing Birthing on Country services - **Commencement:** 1 July 2025 (or the day after Royal Assent, whichever is later) - **The change:** The scheme now explicitly covers settlement and award costs for out-of-hospital birth incidents, rather than leaving midwives to cover these themselves

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