Good riddance to bundled ‘global’ maternal care billing

July 23, 2026 - 15:06

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is welcoming a major shift in how pregnancy and childbirth are billed. For years, the system relied on a single, bundled "global" fee that covered everything from prenatal visits to delivery and postpartum care. ACOG argues this old model was opaque and often unfair to both patients and providers. It lumped together a wide range of services, making it nearly impossible for a patient to know what each part of their care actually cost. For clinicians, the flat rate did not account for the complexity or the time spent on high-risk pregnancies or complications.

The new set of billing codes, set to take effect soon, breaks that bundle apart. Instead of one charge, there will be separate codes for the initial visit, the delivery itself, and follow-up care. ACOG believes this creates a transparent system where both patients and clinicians can thrive. Patients will see a clearer breakdown of charges on their bills, and doctors will be compensated more fairly for the actual work they perform, especially in complicated cases. The change is seen as a long-overdue update that finally aligns payment with modern obstetric practice, moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach that had been in place for decades.