< Back to Previous Page Midwives Struggle to Pay Insurance, Put Themselves, Patients at Risk Florida midwives may find additional barriers to keeping their doors open with the new insurance requirements in Florida. They now force midwives to offer malpractice insurance. Many midwives, who operate small, at-home birthing centers cannot afford to pay an average of $30,000 for a $250,000 policy. Many do not report themselves as official midwives, but this causes legal issues for them and for their patients. If a woman is injured or killed during delivery, because of an error made by the presiding medical professional, it is the responsibility of that professional to pay any additional medical or emotional damages, as well as wages lost from work. If midwives do not carry this insurance, they may lose everything that they own in a lawsuit. Likewise, the patient will probably not get the entire amount that she requires to cover her expenses without the insurance. Many medical experts continue to look down upon the trend of midwifery. They find it old fashioned, and unnecessarily dangerous. The women do not, for the most part, hold medical degrees and the birthing facilities are not always as sterile as a hospital environment might be. Midwives disagree and say that infections often run rampant through hospitals and cause more problems than a natural approach. Regardless of who is right in this debate, when it comes to the prospect of medical malpractice, hospitals are much better equipped to handle the lawsuit. If you or someone you love was injured, took ill or died during childbirth, you may be able to sue for personal injury or wrongful death. For more information, call the personal injury law office of Porter and Kovick today!