Funding a Home Birth if You Have Tricare

TriCare, just like the overwhelming majority of health insurance, does not cover my services. However there's a change coming in 2025 that gives service members and their family another option to fund a homebirth.

Starting this year, military members can have a Flexible Health Care Spending Account or FSA. This account can be used to pay for services not covered by Tricare, including midwifery fees for a home birth.

The benefit of a FSA is that it uses pre-tax dollars which effectively gives a discount of whatever your tax rate is for anything you use those funds to pay for.  

Of course there are other ways to fund a home birth including: 

• Start saving for a home birth in a regular savings account. This option is available for everyone and can be a great way to get a head start on funding a homebirth, or to supplement FSA funds if needed. You can start funding the birth before baby is more than a twinkle in your eye.
• Use a gift certificate. Some midwives may offer gift certificates so family and friends can support you in getting the birth you want. If the midwife doesn't offer gift certificates, she may be willing to if asked.
• Add funding for the home birth to your wish list for a baby shower.  
• Declutter and have a yard sale or sell things online.
• Bartering for all or a portion of the midwifery fee may be an option if the midwife is open to barter. 

Having more options to fund a home birth when insurance doesn't is helpful, especially when an option lets you use all your money instead of what is left after taxes.