Watch: In insurers’ eyes, not all midwives are equal

Vanessa Garcia Clark wanted a more personal, nontraditional birth when she was pregnant with her son. She hired a midwife and gave birth at her home in California. But when she asked her insurer to reimburse her for the midwifery bill totaling more than $9,500, her claim was denied.

In the first installment of InvestigateTV and KHN's "Costly Care" series, Caresse Jackman, InvestigateTV's national consumer investigative reporter, explores the different types of midwives — and how not all of them may be covered by insurance.

Jackman's story features an interview with Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal, KHN's editor-in-chief, who advises mothers-to-be to negotiate before paying a big bill.