Which benefit must a health insurance policy providing maternity care also cover?

A health insurance policy providing maternity care is required to cover a range of services to ensure the health and well-being of both the mother and the newborn. The inclusion of services from licensed birth centers is essential because these centers offer a variety of maternity care services, including prenatal care, labor and delivery support, and postnatal care in a more home-like environment.

Coverage for licensed birth centers highlights the importance of providing options for women during childbirth, as some may prefer a less clinical setting than a hospital. It also aligns with the overall goal of enhancing maternal care by accommodating different birthing preferences while ensuring that the necessary medical resources are still available.

The other options do not fulfill the same requirement for maternity care coverage. For example, while hospital stays are important, they represent only a portion of total maternity coverage. Babysitting services and transportation costs are not standardized benefits within maternity coverage and typically relate to life circumstances post-birth rather than the care surrounding childbirth itself. Thus, the most pertinent and necessary benefit that complements maternity care is indeed the services of licensed birth centers.